KARACHI: City Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Thursday formally laid the foundation stone of a Rs2 billion mega development package for the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) area, marking a major step towards the rehabilitation of industrial infrastructure, facilitating businesses and strengthening Karachi’s role as the country’s economic and export hub.

An official statement issued after the ceremony highlighted that the initiative would encompass the rehabilitation and improvement of key roads and corridors, drainage and sewerage infrastructure, green belts and other essential municipal facilities.

Speaking on the occasion, the mayor said that the rehabilitation of industrial areas was one of the priorities of the Sindh government, as a strong industrial sector was essential for economic growth.

He said that, for the first time, around Rs9.5bn had been approved and released for the rehabilitation of industrial areas across Karachi, with the funds being made available through the respective trade and industrial associations so that development works could be undertaken according to the actual needs of each industrial area.

Scheme forms part of a Rs9.5bn rehabilitation initiative for Karachi’s industrial zones

“We have changed the traditional procedure to ensure that the business community gets practical and timely results”, the statement quoted the mayor as saying.

“Trade and industrial associations have been given greater flexibility to identify priority works, select suitable contractors and vendors, and choose appropriate materials according to the requirements of their respective areas.

The objective is simple: development work should respond to ground realities and should not remain stuck in lengthy procedural delays”, the mayor added.

He added that the provincial and local governments were working together to address Karachi’s long-standing infrastructure challenges.

“We have taken practical steps to remove unnecessary hurdles and ensure that development reaches the areas where it is most needed”, he said.

The mayor further announced that the government was now moving towards addressing another major challenge confronting Karachi: water supply and wastewater management.

Sharing details with the business community, he said that the TP-1 Sewage Treatment Plant would soon begin operations with a treatment capacity of 35 million gallons per day (MGD), while an additional treatment capacity of 65 MGD was planned by December, taking the total additional capacity to 100 MGD.

He said the initiative would significantly contribute to addressing the city’s water and wastewater-related concerns, particularly those affecting the industrial and business communities.

“Development does not end with the laying of a foundation stone. We want to ensure that these projects are completed on time and deliver the intended results. I have asked the business community to remain engaged with us through regular monthly follow-up meetings so that issues can be identified and resolved without delay,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2026