Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said the Sindh government has decided to construct a box drainage channel below the crossing of Green Line at three locations — Nagin Chowrangi and Hyderi Market — at a cost of Rs400 million for smooth discharge of rainwater.
The CM made this decision while presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Coordination and Implementation Committee (PCIC) at the CM’s House, said a spokesperson.
The participants were told that the infrastructure of Green Line till Numaish Chowrangi would be completed by August 30 and buses would arrive in Karachi by August 10. The project will start operations by October 10, he added.
The meeting was attended by Sindh ministers Nasir Shah and Awais Qadir Shah, Adviser on Law Murtaza Wahab, Corps Commander Karachi Lt. General Nadeem Anjum, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, GOC Malir Maj General Omer Maqbool, P&D Chairperson Shireen Narejo, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Naveed Shaikh, Additional Secretary Ministry of Planning Aziz Uqaili, Transport Secretary Shariq Ahmed, KMC Administrator Laiq Ahmed, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board MD Asadullah Khan, SSWMB MD Zubair Channa, NED VC Dr Sarosh Lodhi, Brig Waqar of FWO, Brig Fawad Masud of NLC, Brig Yasir Elahi of PCIC, and others. NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Akhter Nawaz attended the meeting through a video link.
The Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) and BRTs, anti-encroachment drive progress, nullah rehabilitation progress, and disaster management plan were among the points on the agenda of the meeting.
The transport department told the meeting that the FWO conducted a survey for detailed design and estimated cost for flyovers and underpasses along the KCR route. According to the PC-1, three elevated structures would be constructed in phase-1 at a cost of Rs4.9 billion. Elevated structures over an area of 6.4 kilometres would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs11.508 billion. The chief minister said that he had committed to providing Rs6 billion as per the timeline given by the railway authorities. KCR Project Director Ameer Daudpota told the meeting that there were some issues which needed to be resolved before starting the work.
The chief minister said he would chair a meeting of the KCR and transport department and city administration on Monday to resolve all the KCR issues so that work could be started on the proposed project as per the Supreme Court order.
The meeting was told that the Sindh government project, Orange line, was 3.88 kilometre-long and included four stations and one bus terminal. The infrastructure of the project would be completed by the end of next month.
Furthermore, the Sindh transport department has released Rs2.120 billion to SIDCL for the procurement of 20 buses and Rs587 million for the operationalisation of the BRT. The buses would arrive from China in December 2021.
The meeting was told that the BRT Red Line was Pakistan’s first mass transit system with zero carbon emission due to the bio-gas component. All 912 vehicles would operate in direct feeder and trunk routes to travel along the corridor. A state-of-art biogas plant would be installed near Bhains Colony.
The meeting was told that the supervision consultant of the project has been selected. The civil contractor was being finalised and then a financial bid opening would be made.
Yellow Line is another provincial government project. It will cost Rs61.436 billion: World Bank share would be Rs53.540 billion; Sindh government would provide Rs2.654 billion, and private sector would lend Rs5.250 billion.
It would be developed primarily along Korangi and its industrial road connecting the city’s South-Eastern suburbs, South and Central districts.
It is a 21-km project starting from Dawood Chowrangi to Numaish Chowrangi, having two flyovers, nine underpasses, one U-turn and 28 stations.
Its route would have a motorbike track on both sides expecting around 300,000 riders per day and 268 diesel hybrid buses would also ply the route.
The meeting was told that the final the contract was being finalised in consultation with the World Bank.
The participants were told that almost all the major nullas, Mehmoodabad, Gujjar, and Orangi have been cleaned and walls along their embankments were being constructed.
Commissioner Naveed Shaikh, while briefing the meeting about the anti-encroachment drive along the embankments of nullahs, said that 5,134 units have been removed, including 238 units from Mahmoodabad Nullah, 3,290 Gujjar Nullah, 416 Orangi Nullah (Central), 1,001 units Orangi Nullah (West), and 189 units Orangi Nullah (Keamari district).
It was pointed out that Rs 823.340 million have been released for paying compensation to the affected people, of them Rs 545.737 million has been disbursed and the remaining amount of Rs 277.603 million would be given to the affected persons after completion of necessary formalities.
The meeting was told that 1,169 shops and 47 houses have been constructed on 7000 Road Nullah in New Karachi. These establishments spread over 6.5 kilometers.
On a query, the DC Central told the meeting that he has issued notice to the occupants. At this, the chief minister said that his government would give plots to the 47 house owners.
The chief minister directed the chief secretary to keep monitoring the progress of on-going development works along the nullahs and submit a report to him.
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