KARACHI, July 30: Progress made in respect of Karachi’s three mega projects was reviewed at a meeting held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of deputy chairman of Planning Commission, Shahid Amjad Choudhry, here at the Civic Centre.
The meeting reviewed the water supply, Lyari Expressway and Northern Bypass projects. It was attended, among others, by City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, Additional Chief Secretary, Shahzado Shaikh, DCO Karachi, Shafiqur Rehman Paracha, MD KWSB, Brig Behram Khan, special representative to Nazim Karachi, Engr Saleem Azhar and other officials of the Sindh government and the city district government.
In his briefing, KWSB MD Brig Behram Khan informed the meeting that in 1980 a daily quota of 2000 cusecs of water was fixed for Karachi under the water agreement reached between provinces and the centre while the city did not get more than 900 cusecs till todate regardless of the fact that discharge capacity of K.B. Feeder is 1200 cusecs.
In the meeting, the KWSB was directed to submit a scheme within next four weeks for enhanced storage capacity of water of K.B. Feeder and Keenjhar and Haleji lakes and the federal government will provide funds for the same on a priority basis.
It was informed that water requirement of Karachi is 594 mgd against which the city was receiving 458.5 mgd and as such a deficit of 135.5 mgd was being experienced.
It was pointed out that 30 per cent water is going waste because of leakages in lines and other reasons.
The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission called for measures to check water leakages and to carry out planning for the next 50 years.
The meeting was told that despite the fact that federal government organisations are benefiting from the resources of this city, no amount is being spent on its development.
Shahid Choudhry directed the City Government that the amount which is being spent on services provided to these organisations, be recovered from them and no burden be put on citizens in this regard.
Mian Abdul Haq of NHA briefed the meeting about Lyari Expressway and said that payment of compensation to affectees is slow because of non-availability of required funds.
The Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission assured that funds allocated for this very purpose would be released soon.
He showed his satisfaction over the payment of cash compensation of Rs 50,000 to each affectee of the Lyari expressway and allotment of a plot to them for their rehabilitation.
The Additional Chief Secretary, Shahzado Shaikh, thanked the Deputy Chairman for approval of projects for Karachi and Sindh and provision of funds for them.
It may be mentioned here that the federal government has allocated Rs 10 billion for K-3 Water supply, Lyari expressway and Northern bypass projects.—APP