KARACHI: Minister visits Fountain Jet Project

http://www.dawn.com/2005/11/08/images/local03.jpg

KARACHI, Nov 7: Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghouri on Monday paid a visit to the under-construction Rs 225 million Port Fountain Jet Project at Oyster Rocks and reviewed the progress of work.

The minister was shown the facility while the KPT chairman and consultants from Inter-Water Treatment Company briefed the minister about the progress of work. He was informed that 75 per cent work had been completed and the remaining work would be completed by Dec 1.

The Fountain Jet will spew water up to 500 feet height and would be the world’s highest Fountain Jet.

Talking to newsmen, Babar Ghouri said the government had focussed its attention on all areas of port-related activities and would modernise Pakistani ports and bring them at par with the world’s most modern ports.

At present, he pointed out that all facilities that are being provided at other world ports have been made available at Karachi Port and Port Qasim, and these are being further improved to bring down cargo loading and unloading time to the minimum possible level.

The minister recalled that the government had reduced the port charges and is considering reducing them further.

He pointed out that development of areas around the ports and their beautification was also among the Port’s responsibilities which would be fulfilled.

To a question, Babar Khan Ghouri said that government would outsource such functions which the Ports cannot perform. He said that such decisions have brought improvement in the port efficiency.

He said that KPT’s handling functions were being outsourced like many other government organizations. However, while doing so the protection of rights of the workers would be ensured, he said.

He said that the Government will not make anyone jobless

To another question, the Ports and Shipping Minister said the Port Tower project was already in process.

He explained that the party selected for the project earlier was later found not to be of the required standard and bids for the project were again called. He said a number of parties have shown interest and the process would hopefully be finalized by the end of January.—APP

KPT officials have been repeatedly saying that the jet fountain will be the highest in the world at 500ft but there is a similar fountain in fountain hills, arizona which is marked at 567ft.

I think they should clock it up to 600ft.

RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI (November 08 2005): President General Pervez Musharraf would inaugurate world's highest water fountain here in the last week of December. The 500-feet 'Port fountain jet Project' is located at Oyster Rock near Clifton Beach and would cost around Rs 225 million.

Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri stated this while visiting the project site on Monday. Bernard Fantom, representative of the Invent Water Treatment Limited United Kingdom, briefed the minister about the project.

Ghauri said the project was very important in context to tourism and beautification of the metropolis and port.

He said that the fountains in Geneva and Dubai are about 250 to 300 feet high but the Karachi fountain will be 500-feet high and could be seen from very far away. About 18 floodlights will also be installed in the fountain and it will be a gift for the people of the city, he added.

The minister said that facilities available at Port Qasim and KPT were at par with the international ports, and port charges have also been reduced to facilitate the foreign vessels.

Replying to a query, Ghauri said the government would outsource such functions, which the ports could not perform.

The minister said various other government-owned organisations were also being privatised and similarly many Karachi Port Trust (KPT)-handled functions are being outsourced. However, he added, while doing so the protection of workers' rights would be ensured. But the government will not allow anybody to create hurdles, he stressfully said.

Ghauri said that the development of areas around the ports was also among the port's responsibilities, which would be fulfilled.


Copyright Business Recorder, 2005

i thought this project was cancelled?

this is such a waste and will make the waterfront ugly, and 3 million dollars can be spent on better things.

^ true!

I dont agree ... i think that things like these are needed to characterise a city. Compared to our current foreign reserves, and the fact that most other projects are being privately funded 3mln is a drop in the ocean. It does annoy me that people complain when the government spend money ... its just something different and something Pakistanis can be proud of, a bit of a tourist attraction ... in line with making Karachi a worldclass city.

I dont agree ... i think that things like these are needed to characterise a city. Compared to our current foreign reserves, and the fact that most other projects are being privately funded 3mln is a drop in the ocean. It does annoy me that people complain when the government spend money ... its just something different and something Pakistanis can be proud of, a bit of a tourist attraction ... in line with making Karachi a worldclass city.

hmmmm...its a bit like damned if they do, and damned if they dont.

To another question, the Ports and Shipping Minister said the Port Tower project was already in process.

He explained that the party selected for the project earlier was later found not to be of the required standard and bids for the project were again called. He said a number of parties have shown interest and the process would hopefully be finalized by the end of January.—APP

the port tower project is pretty much alive :)

i thought this project was cancelled?

this is such a waste and will make the waterfront ugly, and 3 million dollars can be spent on better things.
why it will make the water front ugly :weirdo:

yea y will it make the waterfront ugly

there are other things that can be done with 3 million dollars, but i dnt think allocating the money for this purpose is baad too...itll give karachi a nice uplift and inshAllah when the shoreline has nice buildings , itll add to the beautify

it will make the waterfront ugly because I dont think we have very pure water in our waterfront

This much money could have been spent planting lots and lots of coconut palm trees on the beach instead of those damned ugly "Islamic" date-palm trees so the sand doesnt fly so much. It would have achieved a much better facelift effect for Karachi's beaches. And what tourists arnt attracted to good beaches?

the jet fountain will spre up shit and piss of people i guess from teh so called drainage karachi has

the water surrounding the oyster rocks is very clean and not like the water at seaview

the money could have indeed been spent on something better but the jet making the waterfornt ugly is something i cannot agree to

Plus these kind of projects attract foreign investors, so to say that this money could have been put for better use, well thats what their doing.

If foreign investment does come to Karachi in view of this project, then theres your return money right there.

KARACHI: The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has assured the citizens that Port Fountain Jet, to be inaugurated by President Pervez Musharraf on December 25, would pose no threat to the environment.

The KPT said it would surely be a new year gift to the nation. The fountain would be 512 feet high and would cost Rs225 million.

Responding to various concerns a spokesman of KPT said, "The distance of the closet sea shore from the fountain is 1.42 kilometers. The maximum distance of fountain spry as indicated by the manufacturer is based on the presence of highest wind speeds during monsoon season of about 35 knots that is in the range of 225 meters to 275 meters."

KPT claimed that this range was far below the distance the fountain jet had with the closest sea shore.

According to KPT, this spray range of 225 meters to 275 meters is only possible when south westerly sea winds blow during July and august.

The fountain is equipped with various filters and strainers to process the water entering the fountain.

The KPT further announced that during this fountain would be closed for general public during July-August every year because during these two months planned "yearly maintenance" of fountain would be carried out.

sweet

Looks like its almost complete?

the fountain finally opened today

pictures pictures!!!!!

post pics of day n night!!
cant waitoo!!

the fountain dosent looks very good cuz its too far away from the part of the beach which people usually visit.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/fdist.JPG

well its the port area isnt it were there making port tower.

pictures guys can somebody post the pictures here

I don't have pictures; but did you read all that trash in the newspaper especialy the opinions page!

I'm happy they built it...and yeah they built it in the area where all that tower business is going on. Good move...it's pretty tall too I heard...

the fountain will be formally inaugurated by the president on 15th January at 7:30 pm according to an advertisement by KPT in dawn. a spectacular fireworks display will follow the inauguration. also according to the advertisment the height of the fountain is in excess of 620 ft.

well somebody should go over there and take snaps of both the fountain n fireworks!!
we make so many thread n dont have much picture to post n run the thread.....some body has to take out time n get snapss!!!!!!!!! :bash: :bash:

it came on geo.

its dammm ugly, but very beautiful at night, especially with the blue light reflecting on it.

it came on geo.

its dammm ugly, but very beautiful at night.

:weirdo: :jk:

these are the best shots i was able to get


http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSC00786.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSC00798.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSC00795.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSCF0358.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSCF0361.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSC00810.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSC00811.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSC00803.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/DSC00800.JPG

Wow thanks for the effort siddiqui!!!!
That fountain doesn't look like 600 feet IMO :P

hmm it doesnt look bigger than the one in jeddah. i'm not sure how it looks in reality btu the pics.. kinda make it disappointing :S

according to geo news the one in jeddah is 800 feet high and yeah it dosent looks 600 feet

thanks for the pictures Musiddiqui!

Is this fountain on 24 hrs a day or only on certain times?

Also, its located pretty far out in the ocean, so it might be the distance that is making it look small. Its all about comparisons.

Bold steps to resolve issues pledged: Musharraf inaugurates landmark fountain

KARACHI, Jan 15: President General Pervez Musharraf said on Sunday that he will resolve issues, including those of Balochistan and water reservoirs, with courage rather than sweeping them under the carpet and “come out victorious”. He was speaking at the inauguration of 620-ft high state-of-the-art port fountain (water jet) built by the Karachi Port Trust at a cost of Rs225 million near the Clifton beach.

He said the government could have ignored the problems and shoved them under the carpet like other governments did in the past but that would not have resolved the problems.

“We want to address all the issues which had been swept under carpet in the past, (because) I don’t believe in doing that,” he noted.

“We have to face them. We have to catch the bull by the horn. We will solve them. If we have a resolve, if we have the courage and if we have the brain, we will be able to do it,” he said.

“But if we keep doing what we have been doing in the past we will not be able to resolve issues,” he added.

Referring to the situation in Balochistan, he said the government would resolve the issue and bring peace there. “If we have a problem in Balochistan....shove it under the carpet. I can very well do that and feel comfortable. No Sir, we will not act that way. We will bring peace in Balochistan,” he vowed.

Referring to the water issue, he said people will die if the government did not go for dams. He said the country will go dry by 2015 to 2020 and people will see the impact in their lifetime of how a nation starts going down.

He said people see it as a technical issue, but it is an economic issue. “One dam means about 1.5 to 2 per cent of GDP because of facilitation of agriculture and electricity. So, we have to face these issues boldly and execute (the dams plan) because it is in the interest of Pakistan and the people of Pakistan, especially the poor, who had unfortunately been misled,” he added.—APP


http://www.dawn.com/2006/01/16/top2.htm

Another picture of the jet from dawn

http://dawn.com/2006/01/16/SlideShow/pic11.jpg

i must say it looks really nice in this picture :)

the last picture shows its true height. tat one surely is 620 feet.

Here is another picture. Damn, the beach area is looking great :eek2:

http://karachi.metblogs.com/archives/images/2006/01/DSC06353.JPG

pic courtesy kAy

http://karachi.metblogs.com/

Looks Great ..... seems soon we will be standing somewhere in the countries having developed Corniche like , UAE, Qatar etc. Inshallah

Wow! :eek2: makes me wish I was in Karachi

y wasnt i able to get pics like these maybe my cam aint good enough

Amazing!! Looks so beautiful

y wasnt i able to get pics like these maybe my cam aint good enough
The problem with night time shots are the shutter speed!

very nice!

wow..look kol in nights....but i think our country shldnt waste money for such rediculous stuff

nice. always good to see public attractions, despite all the talk of wasted money, etc. these things you cant quantify in terms of money, they add charm and bring a certain magnetism to a city

i agree with you on that particular point

what is that thing on the left of the jet ....with the yellow bulbs

There is a floating house next to the fountain probaly a maintainance shed!

what is that thing on the left of the jet ....with the yellow bulbs

those are oyster rocks. Two small islands, that can be viewed from Clifton beach. They have put lights on them now. Looks great :cheers:

here are some close up pictures of Oyster Rocks:

http://karachiyachtclub.com/graphics/yacht_2.jpg

http://karachiyachtclub.com/graphics/yacht_3.jpg

http://karachiyachtclub.com/graphics/yacht_6.jpg

I dont have a ID at PDF I have a great distaste for that site. Meh I started speaking to Nooman a while back when Psychobitch first kicked Nooman out.

:ohno:

I am not the only one who believes that! The majority of the people here are distasteful towards that site. Then their hatred against the minorities of Pakista is just deplorable! You should visit PakDef.info instead.

By the way welcome to the Pakistani forum and if you need any help I am the moderator of this section.

Does anybody living in Karachi know if the fountain is on 24 hrs or only at certain times of the day?

I would hope the KESC gives it uninterrupted power supply or it would be funny to have a landmark that goes out every time there happens to be a blackout :lol:

the fountain is open from 7 pm to 11 pm

the fountain is open from 7 pm to 11 pm

Good timing. Although it would be better if it were left open till 2 am on weekends

Looks very nice, and it's nice to have such things coming all across Pakistan. It's a beautiful country and there's no reason not to have such things.

I have some very good pictures & a video someone PM me and clue me in how to post pictures & a video here, I seem to have forgotten how to..

thanks

heres an article on it
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jan2006-weekly/nos-22-01-2006/kol.htm#4

The Port fountain is the worlds latest fountain and rises to height of 620 feet when operating at full force. The fountain is located next to the Northern rock of a series known as Oyster Rocks, off the Karachi harbour.

Ever since its inauguration by the President of Pakistan on 15th Jan 2006, the fountain has been attracting visitors from all over Pakistan.

The fountain structure and platform of 135 sq meters (15m x 9m) is on 16 piles 18 meters deep. Two 835-horsepower turbine pumps deliver nearly 2000 liters of sea water per second at a velocity of 70 meter per second through specially designed 8 inch nozzles.

Because the fountain rises so high into the air, it is quite easily seen from many locations of the city. Many high rise apartments, buildings and surroundings overlook the fountain throughout the community at the beach. The column of water can be seen from miles at sea. The fountain is located 1.4 km away from the beach to avoid spraying neighborhood homes. Maximum vapours travel up to a radius of 500 feet around the fountain. Eighteen flood lights of 400 watts illuminate the fountain at night.

On evening of 15th January 2006, people crowded the Clifton beach to witness the inauguration of the fountain with a grand display of fireworks and to see its stream of water magically turn blue at night!



Current hours of Operation

6 p.m. – 12 p.m. daily except Mondays and Tuesdays.
Boat rides available from Boat Basin, Keamari.



Source: http://www.kpt.gov.pk/Fountain.html

Hey....
Well it is the 2nd tallest.... that is because the wind is soo much in the sea that the water going up is sprayed around and it cant reach to its full potential.. the ones in jedda and arizona, they are in calm water... with no such problems...the port fountain is the tallest fountain in the world when it comes to being built in the sea...

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/ptc.JPG

makes sense......
`

any update on port tower.

Any reason why the fountain will remain closed throughout the summer when people come to Pak the most for vacations?

Sounds like a stupid plan to me.

i agree. most tourists from all over pakistan come in June and July and they would have loved to see it!

have you ever gone out in the sea in JUNE, JULY and AUG? I have. Its impossible to go 15 miles from the port in a speed boat because of the waves and the Wind.
Its closed because of Monsoon season. You very quickly found it stupid, but you never for a second thought why it was the case?

Isnt the fountain supposed to be visible from the seaside and NOT require a motorboat to go see it? If it was just meant for tourism by motorboat what the heck kinda fountain was this in the first place? I thought it was meant to enhance the beauty of the seaside and make it more interesting. Only common sense would tell you that it would be more necessary to keep this fountain on during the peak tourist season then, so it would fulfill its purpose!

first off, Again, you didnt understand what i was saying. It keeps happening when we converse. It happened a few times about port tower aswell. Anyway, i will clearify myself and make it easy for you to comprehend.
Motor boats are VERY POWERFULL. when you go deep sea fishing, you need a heavy boat which goes fast, so you can reach the distance fast, BUT, because of the wind and the waves, that isnt possible in the summer. Why? because of the Monsoon. Now what does this have to do with the port fountain, It only shows that the waves and the wind is soo harsh, that the fountain will not be off the same height or strength. Now the restriction that a powerfull speedboat has to bear is the same for the port fountain.If anything, its worse, because you can manuver the boat to avoid huge waves, the fountain is stagnent, geting hit by Huge waves at high speed. I think the generator from there will be taken out aswell, because the waves will go over the shed some times aswell. So if you want to see 100 feet high fountain, because of the wind(just thought id explain this aswell, maybe you didnt understand this either), then id say YOU are stupid. And if You want it to be on at that time, and the generator or something blows up, then will the Public pay for it?
2ndly, you cant fight mother nature. Its stupid to say that people would want it on. Well i/people would want a lot of things to happen, but things that arent possible, is just not possible. I am sure a lot of people would love to go fishing over the summer aswell because hey, its vacation time and people come to karachi and the beach, but that isnt possible now is it? :dance:

Thanks for your clarification. Unfortunately I am not as much of a motorboater as you are to have that much nautical knowledge. But as far as construction knowledge goes again, another point: So why was this fountain designed AT SEA and not built in such a way as to safeguard its generators and equipment from being damaged by the water during rough seasons?? now THAT also sounds like stupid construction practice to me. Especially since so many millions were spent on the construction of this fountain.

Also, please refrain from personal attacks.

First off, didnt intend to attack you personally. Sorry if you felt that way. Secondly, i knew that is what you would say. About it being made in the sea. Well, when they were making it, it was known that this was going to be the case, And if they made like a dam type of thing around it, it would be more expensive then this. I dont understand why people cant be patient and just wait oout the monsoons. I mean we wait out that period for Fish aswell right, so now people dont like the fountain anyways and think its stupid, well then they wont mind it being closed for a few months. For people who like having the fountain there, they will wait anxiously for it to open and will get to see it for 9 months. Its just like saying, why make an airport in gilgit, i mean in the winter sometimes planes dont land their for weeks. So why spend sooo much money on that.
Anyway, you think its stupid, i think its pragmatic and we need things like this in the country. But in the end i am sure you and i will both agree that we want our country to be mordernized and somehow that route is initiated and accomplished.

First off, didnt intend to attack you personally. Sorry if you felt that way. Secondly, i knew that is what you would say. About it being made in the sea. Well, when they were making it, it was known that this was going to be the case, And if they made like a dam type of thing around it, it would be more expensive then this. I dont understand why people cant be patient and just wait oout the monsoons. I mean we wait out that period for Fish aswell right, so now people dont like the fountain anyways and think its stupid, well then they wont mind it being closed for a few months. For people who like having the fountain there, they will wait anxiously for it to open and will get to see it for 9 months. Its just like saying, why make an airport in gilgit, i mean in the winter sometimes planes dont land their for weeks. So why spend sooo much money on that.
Anyway, you think its stupid, i think its pragmatic and we need things like this in the country. But in the end i am sure you and i will both agree that we want our country to be mordernized and somehow that route is initiated and accomplished.
Excellent job sir!

Is your username from Najam Sheraz's song for the Basha and Diamer dam?

idk who najam sheraz is ......

http://www.najamsheraz.com/

The biggest supporter of Musharraf I have ever seen. hahaha

Great singer though

ok yeah iv seen his videos. so your saying that I am a huge supporter of mush aswell,im sorry i just didnt get your comment

There was nothing to get about the comment. I was reffering to Najam Sheraz!

ohh ok..i thout u were being sarcastic or sumthin....
my bad!!

when they were making it, it was known that this was going to be the case, And if they made like a dam type of thing around it, it would be more expensive then this.

Might I ask if you were involved in the construction process of this fountain?

I dont understand why people cant be patient and just wait oout the monsoons. I mean we wait out that period for Fish aswell right, so now people dont like the fountain anyways and think its stupid, well then they wont mind it being closed for a few months.

It seems pointless to argue that point out. The fountain was made for tourism and Karachi's promotion. And it is closed out for the period of maximum tourism every year. Therefore no attraction work done by the fountain for Karachi. The whole thing seems contradictory in itself fountain-lovers or no fountain-lovers.

Actually, according to DAWN's articles it was built for the people of Karachi.

3 words: Waste of money.

Maybe instead of building fountains in the sea they could clean up the beaches or fix up the electricity grid. I think loose hanging wires and power shortages leave a bigger impression about Karachi than some fountain thats turned off in summer.

how about we all do just ONE thing

Start paying OUR god damn taxes...and whatever you just said, will take place.

how about we all do just ONE thing

Start paying OUR god damn taxes...and whatever you just said, will take place.
There is no point, it will go in the pockets of corrupt politicians.

3 words: Waste of money.

Maybe instead of building fountains in the sea they could clean up the beaches or fix up the electricity grid. I think loose hanging wires and power shortages leave a bigger impression about Karachi than some fountain thats turned off in summer.
Thats because there is already funds allocated for that and a plan to complete the requirement by 2010.

how about we all do just ONE thing

Start paying OUR god damn taxes...and whatever you just said, will take place.

90% of established Karachiites pay taxes as against few from the rest of the country. And I have inside information on this fact.

1st off..its not abt only karachi..its about Pakistan. Everyone should pay their taxes...as for where it goes. Well first off, 30-40% people in pakistan pay their taxes. Then 60% of that goes to the Defence.
Now if they pay their taxes and as you very negatively and to a certain degree rightly said that politicians will have it, How much will they have? When the people know that they are paying, and nothing is coming out of it, then the people will get reaalllly pisst.
So even thou the politicians will have sum money(which happens everywhr in da world). atleast we have a better shot at accomplishin a sound infrastructure.

There is no point, it will go in the pockets of corrupt politicians.
this doesnt mean we dont pay our taxes....
shows da way we think...Goddd.... :weirdo:

3 words: Waste of money.

Maybe instead of building fountains in the sea they could clean up the beaches or fix up the electricity grid. I think loose hanging wires and power shortages leave a bigger impression about Karachi than some fountain thats turned off in summer.
totally 100% agreed

Kashmiri84: I agree to your point that there are several other priorities that could have been entertained instead of a 'Fountain', but I would also like to point out to your comment that the electricity grid(s) could not have been replaced and loose hanging wires could not have been dealt with in the amount that the fountain was built in.

Besides they already have a plan in place to take care of that crap.

I'm not saying that they should take the money and fix the entire grid system, but contribute the money towards that final goal and actually start some work on it. There may be a plan in place, but until work starts, a plan is merely a plan. Actions are what counts. This fountain was built quickly, but has significant work been carried out on cleaning up electric wires? While there are funds and a plan, has there been any action? Please inform.

As for taxes, you guys think it alright to pay knowing that a significant chunk (if not a majority) will go to line the pockets of politicians? I personally would refrain from that, but my taxes go to Washington, and here we have faith in the Internal Revenue Service's ability to hold people accountable in order to prevent such outrageous corruption.

^ Well yes there are issues everywhere, to be quite honest corruption and issues surrounding that cannot be solved in a year or so.

America is 200+ years old and still has corruption, even though its on a small scale. While Pakistan is only going to be 60 this August.

There has been alot of mishap in Pakistan, poverty rose, prices shot up, so definately everyone wants a quick buck, you cannot stop it completely but we can definately create measures to prevent it, and those will take time.

First off, i live in Boston and i pay my taxes here aswell. But not cos im gullable enough to think that there isnt any corruption in america either. Pakistanis dont refrian from paying because of the corrupt people. They dont pay cos they think its OKAY... And with theories and attitude like urs, they think its Okay to pay because they have a reason. Well guess what, thats not good enough. Theere is a law out there which says pay your taxes. That is something that is supose to be done by everyone. IRS people can be huge a**h***s aswell, you dont think there is curroption in IRS..you can buy off people in the IRS aswell.
Ideas like this shows that both sides are contributing to the GREATER EVIL dat pakistan posses. The curropt ministers/employes and the cizitens of pakistan... cos hey, the ministers etc were also once citizens...

We are all DIGRESSING from the topic.

The bottom line is, that much useless money has been spent on a controversial fountain, and now, WHEN ITS TOURISM SEASON, ITS NOT DOING ITS JOB!

I am pretty sure a large amount of money is also needed every month for its upkeep and if its gonna be such a useless white elephant that cant even be turned on during tourist season, IT SHOULD BE SCRAPPED.
End of story.

I saw the Port Fountain Jet and it rocked! They had to shut it down because of the amount of wind in the monsoon season. But anyways it looks awesome when its running. You can see it from far away. I love it!

^

It seems the people of Karachi love it!

i think pplz realy like it, but when they are spending so much money for it they should go for the world record. and should build it the biggest in the world so it can get attraction of the world media, and represent Pakistan....
no i think its wast of money................ :bash:

What a attidude!

We would be wasting a lot more money if we tried to make it the largest in the world. I didnt even know that they made these fountain jets. So lets end this at this...It was made for the people of Karachi and they seem to be enjoying it. If you saw the first day it opened the entire beach was filled with people!

I think you guys are missing my point here again, its not that I hate how it looks. I hate the fact that its turned off right now during the peak tourist season! JUST WHAT IT WAS MEANT FOR!

Also, there are thousands of fountains in the world. Farazilu is 100% right! if its not even the highest (so it would be extraordinary enough to turn a few heads), its turned off during peak tourist season, it isnt even sound enough to be able to be kept on for a majority of the year, and it still requires a lot of money for its maintenance from the city budget, WHAT JOB IS IT REALLY SERVING? Can anybody here put 2 and 2 together???

Be honest!

Who travels just to see a damn fountain jet?

And it is turned off because of the MONSOON WINDS!

i think he is right...it shud be closed..while we are at it..we shud close da airport in gilgit aswell..no one uses it in the winters, as its hard for planes to land in the severe weather..waste of god damn money...
CLOSE ITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!

The problem wid ppl in pakistan is that if you do something bad, you get shit for it. You do something good, you get shit for it. The best people are those who dont do anythin..just sit on their ass's and dont do anythin for the country.

If you are soo worried about money being spent here and there, go and get on zirdaris case or nawaaz shariffs case, who ate away BILLIONS of dollars of ours and what do we have to show for that, a nice big DEBT.....
Its built already, its the 2nd tallest in the god damn world dude. Chilax...u seen da amount of wind is in the sea. You kill the air, and it will be the tallest ..as simple as that. the wind makes the arch biger and doesnt let it shoot to its true pottential...

i think he is right...it shud be closed..while we are at it..we shud close da airport in gilgit aswell..no one uses it in the winters, as its hard for planes to land in the severe weather..waste of god damn money...
CLOSE ITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!

No comparisons here. Gilgit airport is INFRASTRUCTURE
Karachi port fountain is TOURIST TRAP/DECORATION PIECE

The problem wid ppl in pakistan is that if you do something bad, you get shit for it. You do something good, you get shit for it. The best people are those who dont do anythin..just sit on their ass's and dont do anythin for the country.

The problem with people in Pakistan is that they cant handle criticism. Constructive criticism is good its never bad. And I have a valid point here. What is surprising is the minority of the people on this forum whose eyes are open enough to be able to recognize common sense from non-sense. And recognize white elephants when they are sitting in front of their eyes. Its not people who criticize who are bad, cause at least they care about the country enough to agitate for it. Its people who sit on their asses and not do anything who are a burden on the country.

If you are soo worried about money being spent here and there, go and get on zirdaris case or nawaaz shariffs case, who ate away BILLIONS of dollars of ours and what do we have to show for that, a nice big DEBT.....
Its built already, its the 2nd tallest in the god damn world dude. Chilax...u seen da amount of wind is in the sea. You kill the air, and it will be the tallest ..as simple as that. the wind makes the arch biger and doesnt let it shoot to its true pottential...

I have a cause, and I am arguing for it. If I thought I could make a difference in the Zardari case, I would have agitated for it but I wont because I know my limits. You are not anyone to tell me what to fight for.

Also, although the principal behind the construction of the fountain deserves that it should be scrapped, since its already been built, IT NEEDS TO STAY OPEN. Wind or no wind. Because its not serving any purpose and is eating away money that could have been spent on better purposes. At least it will be tall enough to be seen from the beach if not the second tallest in the world.

Be honest!

Who travels just to see a damn fountain jet?

You'd be surprised. Why do people travel to the United States just to see the damn statue of liberty or to france to see the damn steel structure called the Eiffel tower?
A fountain jet would be ADDING to the attractions in Karachi in a major way. Not going solo. But since its turned off at the moment, the major attractions in Karachi are gone.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1113934/pfj.jpg

Salam,

Its not a very good suggession to close the water fountain or Gilgit airport.

People do go for such things... like Niagra falls, or even small streams in northern areas. If properly developed, Water Fountain can be a major attraction for the people of Karachi.

Regarding Gilgit, that is PAF's farward airbase. I dont think it would be wise to close that or Skardu airbase.

Peace.

well u have to close da water fountain cos of da monsoons...as for da airport..ofcourse u cant, eevven tho its hardly used in da winters...
but i think its stupid to talk about this topic as some people a)think thr are a minority in this website who are RIGHT(i wonder who made them God to think dat the minority hav da brains and are rite)...and secondly, i said this b4 and i say it again...thr is no use arguin abt da same thing again and again..it only shows dat paki ppl are great at arguin abt stuff..and not able to have a discusion...and neg critisim is considered as Valuable...ofcourse everyone has thr own pt of views..and i think it shd end at dat....but ppl like to keep arguin...but hey..its Constructive argument...:bash:

Just to let every1 know this fountain is just the beggining of the changes the karachi waterfront will be getting...there is plenty more coming from the government and private sector...just look at what EMAAR annouced for the waterfront...

and u think dats good or bad?

Salam-o-Alikum ahadhayat11,

Welcome to SkyscraperCity forum. I didn't see your earlier posts, so welcome.

I have a request for you.

Please try to use less of a slang-language. Your posts were very hard to read.

You have some good points. Hope to hear more from you.

Peace.

Theres a VIDEO of the port fountain jet on the website of the Karachi Port Trust on the following page:

http://www.kpt.gov.pk/

Its 25 MB long so you might wanna rightclick and download the file and not open it directly.

and u think dats good or bad?

That's very good...but I've been reading a lot about how people say it's a waste of money blah blah blah...

I think it looks nice...think how nice it will look with a skyscape full of highrises behind it...

ya i agree with you a 100 percent...

I think both the arguments concerning this fountain are true! This fountain will definately help promote Karachi and more importantly Pakistans "softer, investment friendly" image abroad. A skyline in the background of this massive fountain in the near future will indeed look excellent.

But on the other hand the money used to build this fountain could have been put to better use in allot of things in Karachi. This fountain means absolutely nothing to one of the thousands of poor people living under the poverty line in Karachi.

So like I said, both arguments make perfect sense.

yup...dats true....
by the way..on a different note..i love ur nick...'ooga booga' :)....dats cool...

Well after reading fromall of you .. i just want to say, as i seen this fountain, really its good enough for promoting our country as in list of highest fountains... but as far as now its closed ... and here no news about it ...

so whats gonna wrong here?

Anney, welcome to the forums! Its nice to have a new member from Karachi.

Yes, I dont know whats going wrong with this fountain. It needs to be turned back ON!

I ve heared that although its capable to shoot water to over 500ft, it was operated to shoot some 250??? is it right?

huh...dat doesnt make any sense...why wud it shoot at 250 ft.....Maybe cos of the wind, it looked like it was 250, cos the wind has a major hand in how high the water goes. It should be able to hit 600 ft, but if there is no wind...But its good that there is wind there, cos the arch looks better then

NEWS Of the wEek :banana:












KPT fountain worth Rs320 million ‘stolen’
Only in Pakistan can such a fraud take place, authorities remain ignorant

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
By Hina Mahgul Rind

KARACHI: The installation of a controversial multi-million rupee fountain may have been bad but what is worse is that this installation, bought with public money, has now been stolen. The Karachi Port Trust, which financed the project, has finally accepted that the theft has taken place but is clueless about how to nab the thieves.

The 500-feet tall Port Water Jet Fountain, dubbed to be the highest in Asia, was installed at Oyster Rocks off Clifton by the Karachi Port Trust with taxpayers’ money. The original cost was Rs224 million but this later escalated to Rs320 million. Initially, when contacted the KPT claimed that the fountain was closed for repairs. This week the KPT finally admitted that the theft had taken place.

There are two theories behind the disinterest shown by the KPT for this multi-million rupee project. Informed quarters say that the KPT is trying to cover its negligence by trying to hush up the matter. Others insist, however, that the KPT does not want the fountain to resume operation owing to the high cost of running this white elephant.

The much publicised and criticised multi-million rupee project which took nine months to complete is one of a kind in the country. KPT supervised the project’s construction work while the water projection unit was manufactured by the M/s Invent Water Treatment Ltd (IWTL) UK, a company that specializes in such structures.

A KPT official privately told The News that some parts of the fountain have been stolen and the control system has been damaged which made the water jet non-functional. But this official also said that “it is not an easy task to go and steal parts of the fountain and it requires planning and cooperation with concerned officials.” It requires a boat to reach the island where the water jet is located and this means official connivance and cooperation.

The fountain itself had many problems. It costs approximately Rs130,000 to run daily which by Pakistani standards is a criminal waste. According to the laws of the KPT, such allocation of money for purposes other than running the port can be questioned. Officials also privately said that the employees deputed to run the fountain were not interested in its upkeep. Due to poor quality of supervision and maintenance, the height of the fountain which was claimed to be 500 feet was in fact barely higher than 100 feet.

When contacted, the KPT denied this and claimed that the height of the fountain was in fact 620 feet. The News has no means to verify either claim but eye witnesses said that only those passing through Mai Kolachi by-pass could see it.

As this was one of the “visionary” projects of former KPT chief, Vice Admiral Ahmad Hayat, who was given extension in service by General Musharraf despite his controversial tenure, the fountain was made to function regardless of cost.

Informed quarters say that the current administration is not interested in running the fountain because it’s a costly business to maintain the daily expenses of the fountain.

The fountain was supposed to start functioning from Sept 15, 2008 as its off season is over, which is from 15 May to 15 September, as in this period the fountain is not operated due to rough seas.

According to the KPT official an inquiry committee has been constituted. An FIR has also been lodged at the Docks Police Station which says that they are investigating the case independently.

The KPT official told The News that the operation and maintenance team of the Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) department is responsible for operation and maintenance of the port fountain. Security of equipment and site is the responsibility of the Commandant of the Port Security Force. The staffs of both departments are appearing before the enquiry committee, but so far no one has been suspended, let alone taken to task.

Regarding the non-operation of the fountain, the KPT told The News that the control system panel has been damaged by thieves in an attempt to steal it.

The KPT added that the rectification of defect is in hand with M/s Hydro Diesel Company of Holland and M/s MTU Germany.

Efforts are being made to make the fountain operational as soon as possible after rectification of faults. But no time frame was given as to when the fountain will be operational.

Ironically, The News has learnt that to visit and take photos of the fountain site is not allowed due to security reasons. This requires permission from Naval Intelligence, and marine patrolling is also done round the clock by the Pakistan Navy. The fact that despite this, thieves were able to take away such heavy equipment from the site causes many eyebrows to be raised.

It is important to mention that the water jet project was announced by the then Federal Minister Ports and Shipping. The then President of Pakistan, General Musharraf, first announced about the project in 2004 and said it would be inaugurated soon. The project was given top priority.

The then minister instructed KPT to ensure that the ‘Port Water Jet’ is constructed and inaugurated in the given time frame in vide letter No 5 (37)/04-p&s-1, Islamabad dated 1st February 2005. The KPT board which was reluctant initially to spend the Trust’s fund on such a project which would in no way benefit the port later approved the award for the contract on 16 February 2005. The project was inaugurated by President of Pakistan on January 15th 2006.

Equipment list which are stolen

Description Quantity

1. Both Pump Engines Batteries 12V, 210AH 4

2. Both Generator Batteries 12V, 155AH 2

3. Welding Plant 440/220 VA/C/400AMP 1

4. Raceprocating pump Motor double belt 220VAC, 1HP 1

5. Bracket Fan 18”(Plastic Body) 220VA/C 2

6. Ladder 20 M/S Material 1

7. Self starter of MTU Engine with Cable 1

8. Tool Boxes with complete tools 3

9. MTU Engine Fuel Pump Used 2

10. Turning Tool with Racehered Set 1

11. Fire Extinguisher 1

12. GO Phone CDMA with Charger 1

13. Motorola VHF set with charger 1

14. Hot Plate 220 V A/C 1500 Watts 1

15. Multi Meter SANWA 1

16. Emergency lights portable 2

17. Emergency lights Batteries 2

18. S/S Nut Bolts different sizes 400

19. Fuel Filter Pump Engines & Generator 4

20. AUX/Engine Air Filter 1

21. Hand Grinder Heavy duty 220V A/C 1

22. Pump Engine Coolant Pump Heater 220V A/C 1

Other miscellaneous things include plastic tapes, black paint, water cooler, split air conditioner remote.

:nuts:

Hurrah! :happy:

Lao Chitar :bash:

OMG!!!

Who da flip steals a friggen fountain......in other countries u hear million dollar diamonds stolen....or bank robbed.....in pakistan u hear fountain stolen.....

WTF! Seriously, we need an Odd News section! Goddamn!

WTF! Seriously, we need an Odd News section!
Already have one. It's called Mehfil Pakistan.

Dont worry, its not going any where, within 4 to 5 years we will see this fountain in Bilawal House.

If anyone sees a 500 ft. water jet anywhere in Pakistan, please contact KPT.

HAHAHA

This is the most hideous news i have ever heard..

Yar buht purani news hay ye... I didnt post it because I didnt know the details.

That list of equipment looks like it can come in handy for my engineering projects.

NEWS Of the wEek :banana:











KPT fountain worth Rs320 million ‘stolen’
Only in Pakistan can such a fraud take place, authorities remain ignorant

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
By Hina Mahgul Rind

KARACHI: The installation of a controversial multi-million rupee fountain may have been bad but what is worse is that this installation, bought with public money, has now been stolen. The Karachi Port Trust, which financed the project, has finally accepted that the theft has taken place but is clueless about how to nab the thieves.

The 500-feet tall Port Water Jet Fountain, dubbed to be the highest in Asia, was installed at Oyster Rocks off Clifton by the Karachi Port Trust with taxpayers’ money. The original cost was Rs224 million but this later escalated to Rs320 million. Initially, when contacted the KPT claimed that the fountain was closed for repairs. This week the KPT finally admitted that the theft had taken place.

There are two theories behind the disinterest shown by the KPT for this multi-million rupee project. Informed quarters say that the KPT is trying to cover its negligence by trying to hush up the matter. Others insist, however, that the KPT does not want the fountain to resume operation owing to the high cost of running this white elephant.

The much publicised and criticised multi-million rupee project which took nine months to complete is one of a kind in the country. KPT supervised the project’s construction work while the water projection unit was manufactured by the M/s Invent Water Treatment Ltd (IWTL) UK, a company that specializes in such structures.

A KPT official privately told The News that some parts of the fountain have been stolen and the control system has been damaged which made the water jet non-functional. But this official also said that “it is not an easy task to go and steal parts of the fountain and it requires planning and cooperation with concerned officials.” It requires a boat to reach the island where the water jet is located and this means official connivance and cooperation.

The fountain itself had many problems. It costs approximately Rs130,000 to run daily which by Pakistani standards is a criminal waste. According to the laws of the KPT, such allocation of money for purposes other than running the port can be questioned. Officials also privately said that the employees deputed to run the fountain were not interested in its upkeep. Due to poor quality of supervision and maintenance, the height of the fountain which was claimed to be 500 feet was in fact barely higher than 100 feet.

When contacted, the KPT denied this and claimed that the height of the fountain was in fact 620 feet. The News has no means to verify either claim but eye witnesses said that only those passing through Mai Kolachi by-pass could see it.

As this was one of the “visionary” projects of former KPT chief, Vice Admiral Ahmad Hayat, who was given extension in service by General Musharraf despite his controversial tenure, the fountain was made to function regardless of cost.

Informed quarters say that the current administration is not interested in running the fountain because it’s a costly business to maintain the daily expenses of the fountain.

The fountain was supposed to start functioning from Sept 15, 2008 as its off season is over, which is from 15 May to 15 September, as in this period the fountain is not operated due to rough seas.

According to the KPT official an inquiry committee has been constituted. An FIR has also been lodged at the Docks Police Station which says that they are investigating the case independently.

The KPT official told The News that the operation and maintenance team of the Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) department is responsible for operation and maintenance of the port fountain. Security of equipment and site is the responsibility of the Commandant of the Port Security Force. The staffs of both departments are appearing before the enquiry committee, but so far no one has been suspended, let alone taken to task.

Regarding the non-operation of the fountain, the KPT told The News that the control system panel has been damaged by thieves in an attempt to steal it.

The KPT added that the rectification of defect is in hand with M/s Hydro Diesel Company of Holland and M/s MTU Germany.

Efforts are being made to make the fountain operational as soon as possible after rectification of faults. But no time frame was given as to when the fountain will be operational.

Ironically, The News has learnt that to visit and take photos of the fountain site is not allowed due to security reasons. This requires permission from Naval Intelligence, and marine patrolling is also done round the clock by the Pakistan Navy. The fact that despite this, thieves were able to take away such heavy equipment from the site causes many eyebrows to be raised.

It is important to mention that the water jet project was announced by the then Federal Minister Ports and Shipping. The then President of Pakistan, General Musharraf, first announced about the project in 2004 and said it would be inaugurated soon. The project was given top priority.

The then minister instructed KPT to ensure that the ‘Port Water Jet’ is constructed and inaugurated in the given time frame in vide letter No 5 (37)/04-p&s-1, Islamabad dated 1st February 2005. The KPT board which was reluctant initially to spend the Trust’s fund on such a project which would in no way benefit the port later approved the award for the contract on 16 February 2005. The project was inaugurated by President of Pakistan on January 15th 2006.

Equipment list which are stolen

Description Quantity

1. Both Pump Engines Batteries 12V, 210AH 4

2. Both Generator Batteries 12V, 155AH 2

3. Welding Plant 440/220 VA/C/400AMP 1

4. Raceprocating pump Motor double belt 220VAC, 1HP 1

5. Bracket Fan 18”(Plastic Body) 220VA/C 2

6. Ladder 20 M/S Material 1

7. Self starter of MTU Engine with Cable 1

8. Tool Boxes with complete tools 3

9. MTU Engine Fuel Pump Used 2

10. Turning Tool with Racehered Set 1

11. Fire Extinguisher 1

12. GO Phone CDMA with Charger 1

13. Motorola VHF set with charger 1

14. Hot Plate 220 V A/C 1500 Watts 1

15. Multi Meter SANWA 1

16. Emergency lights portable 2

17. Emergency lights Batteries 2

18. S/S Nut Bolts different sizes 400

19. Fuel Filter Pump Engines & Generator 4

20. AUX/Engine Air Filter 1

21. Hand Grinder Heavy duty 220V A/C 1

22. Pump Engine Coolant Pump Heater 220V A/C 1

Other miscellaneous things include plastic tapes, black paint, water cooler, split air conditioner remote.

What a bnch of idiots...

was fountain insured?

^^ It was in the middle of the sea, can't be secured then that :nuts:

actually kpt theft fountain their own fountain, because they will get insurance ,which is very higher

Any link to this news?

Any link to this news?

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=143627

actually kpt theft fountain their own fountain, because they will get insurance ,which is very higher

Yeah, the KPT is desperate for cash :nuts:

AHAHAHAH!

Noway! WTF!

I still can't get over this. :hilarious

this is the worst news i have ever heard that a fountain is stolen ...

this is the worst news i have ever heard that a fountain is stolen ...

u know this guy Babar Ghauri .... u can expect any thing under his control .. like the fire in PNSC Towers (happened 3 times)

Fountain stolen.. :ohno:

Some shameless, bunch of stupids done this.

Once upon a time in Karachi
http://i487.photobucket.com/albums/rr234/fahadkhanmfk/Untitled-1copy-1.jpg

But things didn't end happily ever after.

KARACHI, Jan 18: After remaining inoperative for some months, the multimillion rupee computerised fountain built by the Karachi

Port Trust was made operational on Sunday night.

The fountain was rendered dysfunctional after last year’s monsoon when some of its parts were found missing.

KPT Chairperson Nasrin Haq told APP that a section of the media reported that the fountain had been stolen which was not true.

She explained that only a few parts were stolen. The fountain had been made operational after replacement of the stolen parts that cost Rs400,000.

She said that she took serious notice of the incident, ordered immediate inquiry and took action besides ordering the engineers to carry out rectification work which they completed a few days back.

She said the fountain would operate on Saturdays and Sundays from 6pm till midnight.

A symbol of prominence, the 620-foot-high

KPT fountain jet installed on the Oyster

Rock at a cost of Rs224 million was again operative at night for beach visitors and tourists to witness an extravaganza of light and water, she said.

The chairperson said that colourful fountain was visible from the Sea View, as it was powered by 18 flood lights of 400 watts each. A powerful diesel engine pumped sea water continuously at the rate of 200 litres per second through nasals, she added.


source: http://www.dawn.com/2009/01/19/local11.htm

Wasn't it stolen? :S

Yes, operational again to be stolen again.
playing hide and seek

WTF???
they are just wasting their money for this stupid fountain...

well better than wasting 224 million Rs.

this thing looks good so keep it flowing....!!

KPT Chairperson Nasrin Haq told APP that a section of the media reported that the fountain had been stolen which was not true.

She explained that only a few parts were stolen. The fountain had been made operational after replacement of the stolen parts that cost Rs400,000.



Wasn't it stolen? :S

I had read the reports claiming the stolen part to be in the 10s of millions.

I had read the reports claiming the stolen part to be in the 10s of millions.

Report the loss to be in the 10,000,000s. Buy replacement parts for 400,000.:lol:

Blame the politicians? Blame the journalists? And it's not even clear if the monsoon "lost" the parts or people
"stole" them.

the fountain was not operational due to a) some parts were stolen and b) kpt lost interest due to high running and maintenance costs and due to the latter reason the fountain is only operated twice weekly now as opposed i think 4 days previously

They should re-invest in something like this again. Karachi deserves a water fountain at the coast. Jeddah has an amazing one.

Isn't Karachi fountain functional?????