CM Sets Time Line For Removing Encroachments, Restoring Parking Areas In City

Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a meeting to follow up on the progress of removal of encroachments from the city, Malir Expressway, TP-4, Hub Canal and the removal of encroachments from the footpaths, green belts and roads from the city

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jul, 2024) Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a meeting to follow up on the progress of removal of encroachments from the city, Malir Expressway, TP-4, Hub Canal and the removal of encroachments from the footpaths, green belts and roads from the city.

Those who attended the meeting included provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani, Zia Lanjar, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, SMBR Baqaullah Unar, MD SSWMB Imtiaz Shah, Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, Secretary Planning Khair Mohammad Kalwar, DG SBCA Rasheed Solangi, Special Secretary Local Govt Aisha Hameed, MC Afzal Zaidi, Karachi CEO Water Board Salahuddin, Zubair Channa and PD Malir Expressway Niaz Soomro.

The CM said that the footpaths are meant for the people to move hassle-free on the city roads, but they have been encroached upon under the nose of the administration. “Now, the green belts of the roads have also been encroached upon by the Dhabas and other such make-shift type of settlements.

Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi said that the assistant commissioners have started documenting encroachments on the footpaths, roads green belts and even debris put on the roads for under-construction buildings. He added that the administration would submit a detailed plan to the government for removal of the encroachments.

At this, the CM said that it was the job of local bodies, local administration and the police not to allow encroachment on the public spaces but “sorry to say I compelled to take up such issues”.

Mayor Murtaza Wahab told the CM that he was working on the plan for the removal of encroachment from the KMC roads in a planned manner. “Due to Muharram activities, the tasks could not be taken up,” he said and added now it would be completed by removing all kinds of encroachments.

This is the city where parking areas of shopping/commercial plazas have been turned into godowns to mint money and the vehicles and bikes were being parked on the roads. “Why the SBCA is silent,’ he questioned.

DG of the SBCA Rasheed Solangi told the CM that the officers of his authority have started the survey of the commercial plaza where approved parking areas have been converted into godowns. Just after the survey, the plazas would be given notice to restore their parking areas, in case of failure the buildings would be sealed.

The CM said that he had given two weeks to the administration and local bodies to work out a plan for the removal of encroachment and now one week has passed away and the administration has one week left to submit their plan. He said that the first segment of the 15-km Malir Expressway from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Shah Faisal would prove to be an alternate road to the airport which was most important for the people of the city.

The PD Malir expressway told the CM that due to some litigation issues the work has been delayed. He requested the CM to give him a month so that he could complete the remaining work of the first segment.

The CM directed the PD Malir Expressway to complete all the remaining works by the middle of September so that it could be opened to the public in the last week of September.

The CM directed Commissioner Karachi to conduct a detailed survey of the land reclaimed from the Malir Expressway from end to end so that it could be documented. He also directed deputy commissioners, local bodies and the police to protect government land and property with heart and soul. “I’ll not let anybody grab even an inch of the government land,” he said categorically.

The CM was told that the water board had mandated the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to be the Transaction Advisor for 120 MIGD Treatment Plant (TP4) along with a recycling plant and pipeline system to be procured under PPP mode.

The project consists of designing, constructing, and transferring back to KWSC an upstream interceptor sewer of approximate length 22 km; and Designing, Financing, Constructing, Operating, and Transferring (DFCOT) back to KWSC a waste-water treatment plant with a capacity of up to 120 MIGD, a recycling plant, and a pipeline distribution system to transmit 40 MIGD recycled water to industrial consumers in the Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) for a concession period of 25 years after COD.

The water demand of industries in KIA and Korangi Creek is about 40 MIGD. The project will help KWSC alleviate the shortage of potable water and bring environmental and public health benefits to Karachi.

The CM directed the DG PPP Unit Asad Zamin to work out a tentative time line for the TP4 project so that the RFP could be launched in January 2025. “I want you [PPP unit] to complete all the pre-bid to financial close formalities by the end of 2025 to start work.

Murad Ali Shah reviewed the Hub Canal rehabilitation project and set a timeline for the water board to meet it. He directed the chairman of the Board Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab to mobile contractor by July 28 and start work in the first week of August. “I’ll personally visit the site to witness the start of the work,” he said.

The CM said that he wanted to complete work on the new canal by February 2025 and rehabilitate the existing canal and its allied works by the end of April 2025. Similarly, rehabilitation of the pumping station civil, electrical and mechanical works should be done by May 2025, and intersection structures should be completed by the same month.

Shah told the water board to deem it as the commissioning of the pumping stations and canal by June 2025 and “this is the target that it [KWSB] has to achieve.

It may be noted that the Sindh Chief Minister has launched the rehabilitation of the existing canal and construction of a new canal of 100 MGD project for Rs12.72 billion.

The rehabilitation of the existing canal would add 35 to 40 MGD water to the system for District West, central and Kemari.

The new canal would enhance the capacity of the Hub Canal to 200 MGD.

The CM told the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board to make this city neat and clean. He added that every road, and area of the city must give a hygiene look,” he said.