KARACHI: While still struggling to complete the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line, which is lingering for a long time amid skyrocketing cost, the Sindh government is set to launch another BRT — World Bank-funded Yellow Line — with the start of reconstruction of Jam Sadiq Bridge in Korangi on June 15.

This came during a meeting of key members of Sindh cabinet led by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah with a team from the World Bank headed by country director Najy Benhassine.

The participants discussed progress on 13 active projects worth $3.2 billion that are being assisted by the international financial institution.

A statement issued after the meeting by CM House said that so far, 40 per cent, or $1.33 billion, had been disbursed and the two sides agreed to speed up the work on these projects by removing bottlenecks to ensure their timely completion.

Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memom briefed the meeting on details of the projects under “Karachi Mobility” being funded by the World Bank.

“Karachi Mobility has three components — a $177 million development of road infrastructure for Yellow Line Corridor, $260m for its operationalisation and $6m for capacity building and technical assistance,” said the statement citing the points of the minister’s briefing.

“Under the road infrastructure development, one-kilometre-long Jam Sadiq Bridge is to be rebuilt, which will be part of the Yellow Line. The construction of the bridge ‘design-build’ contract has been signed with a firm and preliminary works have been started and the major works will be started by June 15,” the statement added.

Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani briefed the meeting regarding the World Bank-funded projects under Competitive & Liveable City of Karachi (CLICK), which has five components.

The components include performance-based grants to local councils and capacity building, modernising urban property tax administration and system, improvement of business environment, technical assistance for solid waste management and emergency response component.

“The meeting was informed that all necessary approvals of the project have been made from the forums concerned and the project restructuring is anticipated by the end of this month,” said the statement.

“As far as Emergency Response Component is concerned, Mayor Murtaza Wahab told the meeting that they had been completed. The meeting was told that performance-based grants to local councils and their capacity building have been delayed but was being fast-tracked,” the statement said.

The meeting participants were also briefed about the progress on Solid Waste Emergency & Efficiency Project, Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project, Sindh Solar Energy Project, Sindh Early Learning Enhancement through Classroom Transformation project, Sindh Integrated Health and Population Project and Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation Project.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2024