KARACHI, Jan 22: The city government has decided to develop and beautify 45-km-long coastal-belt from Clifton to Hawkesbay for providing recreation facilities to Karachiites as well as to attract local and foreign tourists.
With a view to expediting the process of developing the city’s coastal area, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan has created a separate department in the city government and has also ordered immediate merger of all those departments and organisations which were earlier engaged in beach development activities, but now these have become part of it in the wake of devolution.
He has also asked the concerned officials to ensure that all record pertaining to the coastal area land and beach development works be immediately provided to the newly-created department.
The Nazim who, along with senior officials of the City government, defunct KDA, LDA and area Nazims, made a detailed visit to Clifton, Hawkesbay, Paradise Point, Neelam Point, Haji Qasim Goth, directed levelling of uneven land and removal of encroachments.
He also directed that plantation be carried out all along the coastal area to make it a beautiful recreation spot.
About the defunct KDA’s land which has become property of the city government, he said development works on this land be immediately started. As far as the land earlier allotted to other organisations or private parties, he said these would be cancelled in the best interest of the nation and the citizens.
Highlighting the salient features of the project, Mr Khan hoped that the proposed recreation spots would not only become a major source of income for the city government, but would also help provide job opportunities to the people residing in coastal areas and the nearby goths.
The Nazim also directed the concerned officials to start removing all sorts of encroachments from all those roads which lead to the coastal area, besides planting trees all along them.
Vowing to allocate substantial funds for the development of coastal area, he said the proposed project would not face any financial problem because private sector was keen to develop it.
Earlier, the Nazim was told that as many as 24 beautiful recreation spots could be developed all along the 45-km long coastal area as now almost all coastal area land had become the city government property following the amalgamation of MDA and KDA in it.
Meanwhile, speaking to the affectees of Lyari Expressway at City Government Secretariat on the occasion of handing of documents for alternative plots in Baldia Town to them, Naimatullah Khan said the affectees were being given alternative plots of 80 sq yards and a cash compensation of Rs 50,000, adds APP.
He said as the operation for removal of encroachments had been started from Monday, and the affectees were also being offered land papers simultaneously.
The Nazim said that Lyari River was surveyed thrice after which a list of 14,000 families was prepared.
Naimatullah said all those whose names were included in the list will be given alternative plots and Rs50,000 cash.
He told the affectees that the place, where they were being given plots, carries more value than their present settlements.
He said the place where they had been residing was not under their ownership whereas they would now be the owners of the plots being given to them and they would also get all basic facilities.