KARACHI, Jan 10: The major issue of removing the encroachments and shifting the affectees alongside the Lyari River- on the right of way of the newly announced mega project of Lyari Expressway was resolved in a high level meeting presided over by the Sindh Chief Secretary, Muhammad Javed Ashraf Hussain, here on Thursday.
The City Nazim, Town Nazims of Kiamari, Lyari and SITE Area, the DG Katchi Abadies, the District Coordination Officer Karachi, the Secretary Finance, the Secretary Local Government, the Commander Corp Engineers 5 Corp, National Highway Authority officers and other high-ranking officials attended the meeting.
The President of Pakistan had earlier announced the construction of 16.5-kilometre-long Lyari Expressway, costing approximately Rs5 billion. The Expressway starting from Sohrab Goth will meander astride the Lyari River, on both sides, and would terminate at the Maripur Bridge, just short of the coastline.
The initial survey had established some 13041 encroachments on the proposed right of way of the Lyari Expressway (16.5 km on each side). This includes 11964 residential units, 1035 commercial units and 42 religious amenities.
It was decided that the affectees, most of them illegal encroachers, would be relocated at three different locations. The whole stretch of 16.5 km would be divided into three sections for the purpose of relocation.
The affectees from the closer vicinity of Sohrab Goth, Liaqatabad and Maripur shall be relocated to Surjani Town, Baldia and Hawksebay. it was decided.
Each household would be granted an 80 square yard plot in addition to an amount of Rs50,000/00 as compensation.
As an alternative, the option of relocating the affectees in multi-storey apartment plazas along the Expressway was also considered.
It was also decided that land measuring about 60 Acres at different stretches along the Lyari River between the Maripur Bridge and Sohrab Goth without encumbrances would be utilized for development of apartment plazas for relocating the affectees.
Alternatively, this land will be utilized for amenity purposes like parks etc. Contracting some reputed builder/developer for this purpose was considered. It was decided that District Coordination Officer Karachi would work out he feasibility of this option.
Today’s meeting decided that the project would be launched in the 2.3-kilometre stretch, running on the left bank of the lyari River, from the Maripur Bridge to the Shershah Bridge. The vacant possession of this stretch would be handed over to the NHA by the 25ht of this month. The remaining length of the right of way will be handed over to NHA progressively.