KARACHI, Dec 9: Work on over two dozen important development projects, including 14 pedestrian bridges, four major parks, eight underpasses, two flyovers , three inter-city bus termini, Clifton hippodrome, an elevated route from Hotel Metropole to airport, a tunnel from North Nazimabad to Qasba Colony, will either be completed or initiated in the next six months.
This was stated by City Nazim Naimatullah Khan at a largely attended inaugural ceremony of the Model Park in Landhi Town on Wednesday night. The park, completed in four months, has three separate portions - one each for children, general public and greenery.
Giving details of the uplift plans to be undertaken by the city government within the next six months, the nazim said that a pedestrian bridge in front of Urdu Science College would be inaugurated on Dec 15 while the foundation stone of three more pedestrian bridges to be built on University Road, near Shahzob hotel; Stadium Road, near Mashriq Centre and Rashid Minhas Road, near Aladin Park, would be laid on the same day.
Besides, 10 more pedestrian bridges would be built in the next three to four months. Two of them would be built at North Nazimabad's Golden Gate Hotel and near 2-K bus terminus; four on Sharea Faisal to be located near Lal Kothi bus stop, Awami Markaz, Duty Free Shop and near FTC Flyover and one each on Shahrah-i-Pakistan, near Aisha Manzil; M.A. Jinnah Road, opposite Quaid's mausoleum; Shahrah-i-Ibne Sina; Orangi Town near Khyber Hotel.
He disclosed that work on three flyovers to be set up at Hassan Square, Sohrab Goth and Quaidabad would begin during the current financial year. The nazim said that the city government had also given final shape to an ambitious plan of developing a national park on 63-acre land from Kotharo Parade to coastal area in Clifton.
Another park would be developed on 163-acres land with a forest at Gutter Baghicha; 45-acre park on a height of 300-feet would be developed in North Nazimabad on the pattern of Islamabad's Koh-i-Daman; and another park titled Fateh Bagh would be developed on 10-acre land near Hill Park.
Referring to health facilities being provided to Karachiites by the city government, he said that a major heart hospital known as Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases would be made operational in Federal B' Area on Jan 28 while six to eight chest pain centres, having well-equipped ambulances, would be established in various parts of the city in the next three or four months.
Reiterating that a section of Karachi Circular Railway (from Drigh Road to City Railway Station) would be inaugurated in January, he said that a parallel elevated steel flyover to be erected from Hotel Metropole to airport had also been planned with a view to bringing an end to traffic congestion on Sharea Faisal.
He expressed hope that work on this gigantic project would commence in the next six months after seeking a soft loan from Japanese government by the federal government. Besides, the city government was preparing a feasibility report for carving out a tunnel in North Nazimabad's mountains so as to reduce distance from North Nazimabad to Qasba, Orangi and Manghopir, he said.
He further said that work on two inter-city bus termini being constructed on the RCD and the National highways had already been expedited and once they were completed all the inter-city bus termini, causing hindrance in the smooth flow of traffic, would be shifted there.
On this occasion, he also announced that the federal government would shortly be setting up seven to eight air-condition libraries in different parts of the city for which the city government had already identified the sites.
Among others, the inaugural ceremony was attended by Landhi Town Nazim Mohammad Shahid, Naib Nazim Bakht Rahim, former MPA Aslam Mujahid, Nazim's coordinator Abid Ilyas; and DO Parks Liaquat Ali Khan.