ACCORDING to a document issued by the Zulfikarabad Development Authority in June 2012 titled Development of Zulfikarabad City as well as information available on the ZDA website, the following are the salient features of the project.

The authority was set up under the ZDA Act, 2010 of the Sindh Assembly. The new city will include four coastal talukas of Thatta district: Keti Bunder, Kharo Chhan, Shah Bunder and Jati, covering 64 dehs. It will be about 150 kilometres from Karachi.

Over 1.3 million acres of land have been earmarked for the project, of which around one million acres are “under tidal influence” and will have to be reclaimed. The ZDA claims this will stop sea intrusion, which has ravaged large parts of the Indus delta.

The ZDA says there will be no dislocation and that “locals will reap the benefits of developed infrastructure, connectivity and economic activities without fear of losing their ancestral places, lands, properties and social capital.”

A Zulfikarabad Special Economic Zone is being planned with Chinese help, which will contain manufacturing and industrial units. There will be a “special regulatory regime to ensure locals have the first right over jobs and opportunities”. Development of wind power projects and projects based on Thar coal is also on the cards.