THE signal-free Shahrah-i-Bhutto, which stretches nearly 39km, has the potential to ease the pressure on major traffic arteries of Karachi. Once it becomes fully functional, it will attract a sizeable volume of vehicular traffic. Every major urban intervention brings with it the responsibility to think beyond concrete, speed and convenience. The expressway will increase fuel emissions, noise, heat and a gradual impact on the air quality of residential and ecological zones along the Malir River basin. The corridor that promises relief to commuters must not become a new environmental burden. This is where leadership must move from infrastructure delivery to environmental foresight.

The first step should be to declare the Malir River basin a protected urban wetland or jurisdictional ecological zone through proper environmental regulation, legal safeguards and ecological sensitivity mapping. The provincial legislature should consider passing a dedicated law to give this vision legal strength and institutional continuity. Such a law must protect the natural character of the entire river basin, prevent unchecked encroachments, regulate future development and ensure that the land around the expressway is planned with ecological intelligence rather than short-term commercial pressure.

The second step in this regard should be the preparation of a comprehensive Malir River basin master plan. This plan should recognise the basin not as leftover land, but as Karachi’s future green lung. It should introduce wetland parks, public green spaces, tree belts, ecological buffers, walking and cycling tracks, and carefully designed recreational areas. It should also involve the Sindh Forest Department, environmental organisations, universities, schools, colleges and the public.

The same line of thinking can be ex-tended to other major corridors, including the Lyari Expressway. Karachi’s express-ways should become integrated urban systems supported by green buffers, public spaces and environmental safeguards.

Rashid Hassan Khoso
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2026