KARACHI: While the Pakistan Peoples Party’s provincial government has been accused of neglecting Karachi’s development, the ruling party claims to have undertaken a wave of multi-billion-rupee infrastructure projects that are nearing completion and are set to open one after another in the coming weeks.

Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, who is also a spokesperson for the Sindh government, has expressed confidence that at least six mega development initiatives will be completed in the next three to four months. Three of these projects are expected to become operational as early as next month.

The most imminent among the upcoming projects, officials say, is the completion of the Hub Canal Project — undertaken by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) — which is expected to be inaugurated on August 14.

The project aims to improve Karachi’s water supply by constructing a new 100 MGD (million gallons per day) canal from Hub Dam to Karachi and rehabilitating the existing one.

Says days of hardship for district Central residents are almost over as Karimabad underpass set to be opened on Sept 30

“The old canal supplying water from Hub Dam to Karachi is almost half a century old. Due to leakage and seepage, it was no longer capable of delivering the full 100 MGD of water. That’s why we had decided to build a new canal to address the city’s water shortage issues,” said Mayor Wahab.

“Not only will this new canal ensure a reliable supply of 100 MGD, but the existing canal will also be repaired to provide additional water to various areas of the city,” he said.

As part of road infrastructure development, the one-kilometre-long new Jam Sadiq Bridge is also expected to open by the end of August, according to officials.

The project gained significant momentum after March 2025 and is now on track for completion within weeks.

“In March 2025, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah visited the site to review the project’s progress,” an official said.

“The bridge, designed to provide a dedicated route for DHA and Korangi traffic on Shahrah-i-Bhutto, was originally scheduled for completion later in the year. However, the chief minister directed that the timeline be advanced, cutting the deadline short by at least two months to ensure its opening by the end of August.”

The upcoming inauguration of TP-1 (Treatment Plant 1), also known as the Shershah treatment plant, under the West Karachi Recycling Water Project marks another transformative milestone in Karachi’s water management strategy.

Speaking about the development, a senior KWSC official said that the TP-1 was not just a treatment plant, it’s a breakthrough in the approach to urban sustainability.

“By delivering 35 MGD of industrial-grade water to SITE, we’re significantly reducing the pressure on our freshwater reserves and ensuring that industry continues to thrive without compromising residential supply,” said Mayor Wahab.

“We are committed to completing the work on the secondary treatment of 35 million gallons of raw sewage by August 30. Thereafter, we will work on utilising this water with further purification for industrial use,” he said, adding: “We had some issues but we are grateful to the chief minister of Sindh for assuring full and complete support for this landmark initiative which can possibly and hopefully resolve the water issues of our city.”

He also said that the Karimabad underpass in district Central would be inaugurated on September 30.

Launched by caretaker chief minister Maqbool Baqar in June 2023 under the supervision of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) with the funding of the Sindh government, the project was initially approved with Rs1.35 billion budget, but it saw a significant rise in the cost by Rs3.8 billion due to the “additional” digging work.

“But the days of hardship and inconvenience are now almost over. The Karimabad underpass will be opened on September 30, which will prove to be a major convenience especially for the residents of Central district, and generally for the entire city,” said Mayor Wahab.

The construction work on the Korangi Causeway Bridge near Qayyumabad and the Murghikhana Bridge over the Malir River along the N-5 Highway is progressing on the fast track, officials said, adding that clear directives have been issued to the contractors to ensure completion within the stipulated time.

“So by October 30, the Korangi Causeway Bridge will be open to traffic, and by December 31, Karachiites can expect the Murghikhana Bridge to be fully operational,” the official added.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2025