THE World Bank has agreed to invest $2billion in Karachi projects, according to Dawn’s Metro pages (March 5).

I am excited for Pakistan, particularly for Karachi, and feel that this kind of investment anywhere in the country deserves the front page. According to the report, $1.6bn from this amount would be spent on the Karachi water and sewerage services improvement programme.

One hopes that a part of this amount is spent on the treatment of raw sewerage in open Malir and Lyari river beds. Consequently both river beds can be converted into parks in the heart of the city.

Karachi and its residents will get some respite from the intense summer heat. The trees and greens will help alter Karachi weather, which caused many deaths not too long ago. The Sindh government is already planning a 400 acre forest in Malir. Let’s hope this investment helps in making that into a 4,000-acre forest-cum-park, just like Central Park in New York City.

S. Nayyar Iqbal Raza

Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2019