KARACHI, Jan 29: A group of town planners and consultants has come out with a proposal, aimed at amending the design of the Lyari Expressway project, claiming that if incorporated, it would not only save Rs2.1 billion but also help save almost 20,000 families from being relocated.

The proposal, already submitted to the relevant officials of the city, provincial and federal governments as well as other concerned, was explained by the spokesman of the group, Mohammad Shoaib Ismail, at a news conference at the local press club on Wednesday. He was accompanied by a town planner, Arif Hasan.

Under the original plan, the spokesman said, the government would have to pay compensation to about 25,000 families on account of an alternative residence and rehabilitation cost in cash. However, the new proposal would bring down the number of the affected families to between 3,000 and 4,000, he said adding that the compensation amount would ultimately be reduced by Rs1.2 billion.

He said that the proposal also provided for further saving of one billion rupees through the use of alternative earth reinforcement technology.

The consultants have proposed that the Lyari River should have vertical banks with reinforced earth. The have suggested that the width of the river’s course be narrowed down and slope modified maintaining the available depth at certain critical sections except Dhobi Ghaat and Mewa Shah points.

Mr Ismail said that the bridges at Dhobi Ghaat and Mewa Shah should be raised by lifting the deck slab. This, he pointed out, would incur no excessive expense. He cited the example of about six to seven kilometres of vertical face in the shape of reinforced earth embankment as shown in the NHA project.

The consultants’ spokesman, giving more details of the new proposal, said that in place of the imported reinforced-earth technology for embankments, a similar indigenous technology could be used to save a great deal of amount.

He insisted that the cost of building vertical banks would in no way be a burden on public exchecqure.

Replying to the newsmen’s questions, Mr Ismail said that he favoured the Expressway project for it would also prove to be a barrier to prevent floods from causing any big loss of life and property.