KARACHI, April 24: The scheduled completion of the desalination plant by the end of the year 2006 and the ongoing work on a host of development projects would transform Defence Housing Authority into a most prestigious residential estate in the country.

The outgoing Corps Commander, Lt Gen Syed Athar Ali, stated this while addressing the last executive board meeting of his tenure at DHA main office on Monday.

The corps commander, who is also the president of DHA executive board, termed sanitation and security in DHA as the two grey areas, which needed to be tackled with an innovative and dynamic approach on war footings.

The executive board approved establishment of a haematological complex by Fatimid Foundation and a modern cancer hospital by Shaukat Khanam Memorial Trust in Defence.

It was also decided that four hi-tech surveillance cameras would be installed forthwith at critical entry points in Defence and the effectiveness of DHA Control Centre would be enhanced through intensive and close coordination with civil police to curb the ever-growing incidence of lawlessness.

The board enunciated a progressive forward looking policy which envisaged employment of mechanical sweepers, daily removal of garbage from all roads and initiation of cleanliness campaign to bring about a quantum and tangible improvement in general sanitation condition in Defence.

DHA Administrator Brig Maqsood Hussain assured the executive board that work on the refurbishment and revamping of the infrastructure in DHA Phase-I including carpeting of all roads would be completed by July 2006 positively.

Lt Gen Athar Ali said that inordinate delays and abrupt disruption of project work midway cause negative optics and disillusionment in the residents. He asked the DHA to ensure stringent scrutiny and intricate deliberations in a professional manner while formulating initial contracts to avoid recurrence of any problems at a later stage. He stressed upon DHA staff the need to maintain transparency and quality in all their undertakings.

The corps commander said that 12,000 acres of land acquired by the DHA astride the Super Highway would be developed as a modern satellite town; self contained in all civic services. He said that the upcoming DHA-II would have a separate and dedicated organisation to execute its affairs.

Administrator DHA in the end thanked the outgoing Executive Board President Lt Gen Syed Athar Ali for his guidance, direction and vision, which greatly helped the DHA in realization of its objectives. —APP

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/25/local11.htm

Originally Posted by imran02feb79
Yes ladies and gentlemen...this is true. Wateen Telecom, A Warid Group Company is creating the largest wireless hotspot in the world, Karachi. During the launch, they claim to be launching in over 50 cities. They have partnered up with Motorola to bring in WiMax in order to build the network over the 802.16E protocol.

Imagine, anywhere in these 50 or so cities, you get broadband as easiily as you can get radio!


over the 802.16E!!!

dont our wireless cards and laptops use th 802.11 b/g standards. Hence this wont likely be the kind of hotspots we have in paris.

secondly the 802.16E is the mobile wireless WAN; anybody knows exactly what that means?

It is a fairly new system...
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/columns/article.php/3072471

Imran says land for Shaukat Khanum has been set aside along National Highway

Staff Report

KARACHI: A Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMT&RC) would be built in Karachi with a cancer diagnostic centre in DHA Phase VII extension over 2,275 acres. A total of half a million rupees has already been received in donations for the construction of the centre which is scheduled to be completed by January 2007.

The hospital itself would be located on a desolate stretch of a link road on the National Highway. The hospital’s ground breaking is scheduled for later this year and the completion of the first phase soon after. The same American architect who had designed the Lahore hospital has designed both the diagnostic centre and the hospital for Karachi.

This was announced by board members of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust at a lunch held on Tuesday with chairman Imran Khan and prominent members of the city.

Present at the occasion were Mian Abdullah of the Sapphire Group, Jamal Mir, C.E.O. of Gray Prestige, and performer Sajeeruddin. The event started off with a presentation summarizing the achievements of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital over the past nine years and the conception of a project to establish the institution in Karachi.

Dr N. K. Burki, a board member, outlined the foundations for establishing care for cancer patients in terms of facilities and trained professional staff. A few of the integral factors S.K.M.T. will be considering for its facilities in Karachi include proper hospital planning. Burki stressed the importance of thorough needs assessment, comprehensive healthcare provision in terms of modern, state-of-the-art equipment and procedures, and competent, well-trained, medical staff.

The focus was not just on accommodating Karachiites for treatment but also any of the populace of regions surrounding Karachi who are afflicted with cancer, Burki stated.

Burki added that candidates for staff should not only be academically and professional qualified but should also be scholarly and have sufficient research experience.

Naeem-ul-Hassan, board secretary of S.K.M.T. Karachi, displayed pictures and maps of the location at which both the diagnostic centre and the hospital would be built. The diagnostic centre would basically have laboratory and radiology facilities although future plans include expanding it to comprise treatment facilities, Burki added.

More than half the equipment for the diagnostic centre had been purchased, said Naeem-ul-Hasan. Burki briefly mentioned that the completion of the hospital facilities here, as was the case in Lahore, would be accomplished in three phases.

Imran Khan thanked benefactors and donators, among others, present at the event and stated that while funds had been low for the S.K.M.T. in the present year, he was confident that through awareness and humanity, the organization would soon see funds pouring in.

Khan said that during the initial stages of the S.K.M.T. Lahore project, there were times when the survival of the project seemed bleak. He congratulated the employees of the hospital for the quality of their work and was determined that the same level of dedication be carried over to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Karachi.

Home | Karachi

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\26\story_26-4-2006_pg12_2

Development has started to generate more revenue’
* CDGK to help PCB get back 45 acres in return for NSK land

Staff Report

KARACHI: As Karachi has grown more attractive for investment due to development over several months, the city government’s revenue has climbed 38 percent, said City Nazim Mustafa Kamal adding that two five-star hotels will soon be opened for foreigners.

Kamal informed German ambassador Dr. Gunter Mulack of these developments during a meeting on Tuesday when the ambassador said that as the law and order condition of the city has improved, more foreigners and tourists have been visiting which has resulted in a shortage of accommodation in the existing five-star hotels.

Mulack said that Karachi is gaining the attention of investors across the world and German investors in particular are interested in Karachi. Metro Train, an internationally renowned German company, is interested in Karachi in addition to some multinational companies.

Kamal agreed that the hotels have been fully booked for the last six weeks. The city government was working on developing the infrastructure of the city and Rs 4.5 billion is being spent on the development in industrial zones.

PCB to get back 45 acres in return for NSK land: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will give one acre of its the National Stadium Karachi (NSK) land to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) for the proposed flyover, said Sheharyar Khan, PCB chairman, on Tuesday.

In return of this land, the CDGK would help recover 45 acres of PCB land adjoining the National Sports Training Coaching Centre (NSTCC) from encroachers, he said. As many as 104 acres of PCB land at the NSTCC have been encroached on since 1980.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Khan and City Nazim Mustafa Kamal on Monday. Kamal informed the PCB chairman about the details of the project, which would use some of the land of the NSK. This land was vital for the project, as it would be difficult to complete the flyover without it, he said.

Khan said that the PCB has agreed to give the land because it would ensure smooth entry for the players and VIPs and help spectators easily enter the stadium during high-profile matches.

Moreover, the flyover would also beautify the stadium, as there are no stadiums in the world with a flyover directly attached, he said. However, the privacy of the ground would be maintained as it would not be seen from the flyover because of the angle of the bridge, he added.

Khan also said that during construction, the water tank and electric supplies would be disturbed but the CDGK would compensate for the damages and it would also reconstruct the inner roads of the stadium. PPI

Home | Karachi
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\26\story_26-4-2006_pg12_1

I'm kind of confused here. What do htey exactly mean by "a flyover directly attached". Can comeone please help me understand this?

KARACHI, April 26: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has said that the city government would construct shopping malls in various areas in collaboration with a German enterprise on public-private partnership basis.He stated this while talking to a delegation of German investors at his office. Burno Legender of Carrefour (German company), EDO Revenue Saleh Farooqi, EDO Finance Roshan Ali Shaikh and EDO Master Plan Iftekhar Qaimkhani were also present.
The delegation informed the nazim that they planned shopping malls in Karachi like those in Dubai and other developed countries for which they would need land and other facilities from the city government.

Mustafa Kamal said that the city government was going to make Karachi the most investment-friendly city of the world and for this purpose work on all the ongoing projects was being carried out round-the-clock. “We will welcome foreign investors and their companies to provide modern facilities to people,” he said.

He directed EDO Revenue to provide complete details about the land at six locations where the Germans wanted to construct shopping malls.

The delegation was informed that the city government could work on long-term partnership for shopping mall project whereby land would remain the property of city government and remaining project details would be the investor's responsibility. He said that the city government would help and cooperate in the provision of utilities and other services.

He asked the delegation to prepare shopping mall feasibility within a week and present it to EDO Revenue.

He suggested that in the proposed shopping malls, prices of consumer goods be kept at a reasonable level so that people of Karachi could be directly benefited.

The nazim informed the delegation that Karachi with a population of 18 million was the sixth largest city in the world. He said that the metropolis contributed 68 per cent revenue to the national exchequer, which was used by the whole of Pakistan.

He said that billions of rupees were being spent on infrastructure development while preparations were in hand for having a Master Plan for Karachi up to 2030.

Mustafa Kamal told the delegation that Pakistani fruits, particularly Sindhi mango, and vegetables were liked in most countries of the world.

Referring to his visit to Malaysian Sunway Water Park and Beach, he said, “We want to have similar recreational points here for public entertainment.” –APP City Nazim FLYOVER: Mustafa Kamal directed works and services department officials to provide alternate routes before laying of foundation stone of Hasan Square and National Stadium flyovers.

Mustafa Kamal said that the city government decided to start work on two flyovers while respecting the public opinion that the development works, which used to take years to complete, were now taking only months.

He directed the officials concerned to install guide signs of alternate routes at conspicuous points and said that the foundation stone laying ceremony would not take place until alternate routes were provided to people.—APP


Source: Dawn e-Paper (http://epaper.dawn.com)

KARACHI, April 27: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, on Thursday gave the green signal to a $850 million project for installation of a gas-run combined power and desalination plant in Karachi under public-private partnership.
In this connection, the city nazim attended a briefing on contemporary desalination plants technology given by technical experts of Siemens Pakistan Ltd at the Defence Housing Authority’s head office.

The DHA’s Administrator, Brig Maqsood Hussein, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board MD, Brig Iftikhar Haider, EDO Revenue Saleh Faruqi, EDO Works and Services Sarfaraz Ali Shah and officials of the city government and DHA were present on the occasion.

The nazim was told that the proposed combined power and desalination plant would desalinate 20 mgd seawater and generate 200 megawatts electricity to cater to the city’s wa ter and power needs.

Out of the project’s total cost, $100 million will be spent on installation of desalination plant, 740 million on power plant and $10 million on project development. The project will be completed in a period of 36 months.

The city government will provide land for the plant and will also be responsible for gas supply to it.

The city nazim was informed that the DHA Combined Power and Desalination Plant, the first of its kind in the country, was a success story and would become operational by December this year.

The desalination plant using exhausted steam of power generation plant would produce desalinated water of high quality employing EMD technology and would be available at an affordable price.Experts of the contracting company said that desalination plants were being used widely in the Middle East as the best solution for procuring pota ble water at cheap rate.

The city nazim said the city government was poised to establish big desalination plants in Karachi to solve its water crisis.

He asked experts to work out a detailed technical proposal with all modalities for the desalination plant and present it in two weeks for approval. He also directed the EDO Revenue and the KWSB MD to prepare the project’s feasibility with the co-operation of experts.

He stressed that the proposed desalination model should cater for the availability of potable water at inexpensive rates, which the KWSB could afford easily.

Mr Kamal said the city government accorded highest priority to ensuring availability of water and power to public, unhampered.

He assured the DHA administrator that the city government would mutually work with the authority in executing all uplift works and future projects to make them a success.—PPI


Source: Dawn e-Paper (http://epaper.dawn.com)

What does this have to do with the topic?! :bash: why Mr UP u consider this portion of portal as ur property? every time criticize users? be like a real moderator are leader one every point u show aggression this is not the way to lead from front?
if u want to ask why i posted it here it's showing handicrafts of pakistan, and there is no other particular thread named for handicrafts. one more thing i want to u guys is that pakistan is a agriculture country neither u have any thread for that nor u ever discused about that???

why Mr UP u consider this portion of portal as ur property? every time criticize users? be like a real moderator are leader one every point u show aggression this is not the way to lead from front?
if u want to ask why i posted it here it's showing handicrafts of pakistan, and there is no other particular thread named for handicrafts. one more thing i want to u guys is that pakistan is a agriculture country neither u have any thread for that nor u ever discused about that???
Perhaps you need to refer to the rules. This is not a portal it is a forum and this portion of the forum is under FahadKhan and me. We have mentioned in the rules that you are invited to post here but we can revoke such an invitation at anytime. The moderator's job is to keep the subforum in good shape and that is exactly what I am doing. Does this thread look like a place to post handicrafts or such things? That is neither progress or an update. For the rest just open a new thread. By the way you have violated a couple of rules and I suggest you look at the rulebook.

^^ Can y'all please take your fights to the PM?

Singaporean, I commend you on your efforts a lot at maintaining this Karachi News thread in good shape while I am very busy these days and am unable to contribute. Very good going! UP is right here though too, if you find that there arnt any threads that relate to something important about Pakistan, just make one.

Anyways, mods, please clean this all up. Thanks.

The thread has been cleaned and if I have missed any posts just give me the post numbers.

KARACHI, April 29: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Friday called for inclusion of the boundaries of Karachi and Hyderabad in the cities’ master plans, and directed the officials concerned to ensure provision of all basic amenities to regular goths of Karachi.

He was presiding over a high-level meeting at the CM’s House which was attended by ministers Syed Sardar Ahmed, Adil Siddiqui and Irfanullah Marwat;, MPAs Irfan Gul Magsi, Rajvir Singh and Faisal Sabzwari; City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Secretary of Cooperative Societies Mumtazur Rehman and other officials.

The chief minister told the meeting that town planning for all areas of Karachi and Hyderabad would be undertaken as per the master plans for which a loan will be obtained from the Asian Development Bank.

He said that all ministers would have to work collectively to make Sindh a model province. He stressed on transparency to be ensured in recruitment in future, and said that merit be made the basis.

Dr Arbab said the government’s effort was that all urban and rural areas of Sindh were provided with basic amenities. In this regard, he added, special attention would be paid to this objective in the next budget.—APP

http://www.dawn.com/2006/04/30/local17.htm

KARACHI, April 30: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal on Sunday said that Karachi would become one of the developed cities of the world by 2007 due to farsighted policies of city government and expeditious completion of ongoing uplift projects “Today, uplift projects worth billions of rupees are under way in Karachi that has not only boosted economic activities, but also increased job opportunities. After a few months, water and sewerage problems in the city will be solved completely,” he said while talking to citizens gathered during his 10-hour-long visit to ongoing uplift projects in the city.

The city nazim visited Korangi Industrial Area, Shahrah-i-Pakistan, 8000, 5000, 16000, Abul Hasan Isphahani and Pak Colony, Liaquatabad, Gharibabad and Nazimabad underpasses, Sohrab Goth, Hasan Square, National Stadium, Karsaz and PAF flyovers, and the sites of other under construction projects.

Citizens gathered on the occasion said the ongoing development projects had no precedence in the past and hoped that the city's transport and communications network would soon be set on modern lines.

During inspection of 16000 Road, Mustafa Kamal issued directive for immediate removal of five hydrants and encroachments impeding construction of the road. He asked the officials concerned to expedite construction work of 8000 Road and ensure its early completion as, he said, the road was unique in the sense that 3,200 industrial units were situated along its both sides. “The completion of this road will have positive impact on the country's economy besides facilitating users,” he added.

Mr Kamal said after assuming the city nazim's charge he had adopted a clear policy of solving actual problems on concrete basis instead of focusing on publicity.–PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/01/local15.htm

KARACHI, April 30: A provincial-level, Disaster Management Authority, was formed at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Sunday. The authority will be an independent organisation to be headed by chief secretary Sindh. It would have its own SOP, staff and offices.

The meeting was attended by Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed, Home Minister Rauf Siddiqi, Adviser on Finance, M A Jalil, Adviser on Local Government Waseem Akhtar, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, concerned secretaries, Chancellor of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology Z A Nizami, and representatives of other universities.

The meeting decided to set up the authority after discussing in detail the proposals mooted by various committees set up in earlier meetings on the issue of disaster management.

The authority will involve the Civil Defence, Fire Brigade, Red Cross, NGOs besides having coordination of all district governments in the province.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/01/local9.htm

can someone please tell me what they mean by 8000, 16000 roads. its weird. are those project names for some major roads or what?

Three more flyovers on sharah-e-faisal are planned.

1. PAF flyover.... construction started (near PAF faisl base sharah-e-faisal)

2. Sharah-e-Faisal, chanasar halt and mahmoodabad flyover (Tender invited)

3. Tipusultan, sharah-e-Faisal flyover (Tender invited)

Please check the City district government karachi site...

http://www.karachicity.gov.pk/admin/tenderimages/92.jpg

http://www.karachicity.gov.pk/tenders.asp

http://www.karachicity.gov.pk/newsdetails.asp?sid=294

Karachi's infrastructure is improving, and progress is very fast then other cities. every month new flyover and underpass projects are comming.... soon there will be flyovers every where, on every signal or round about.

can some body tell me how to post pictures......

By Maheen A. Rashdi

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/02/local21.htm

KARACHI: It’s been ten days since the city nazim arbitrarily promised the completion of road-work in certain localities within 15 days. But as the traffic jams continue — each one worse than the last — it is clear that the claim/order was too tall to be realistic in the first place.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/02/images/local03.jpg

Amid these persistent traffic jams and chaos due to the ‘excavated’ roads at crucial junctions traversed by almost 10 million citizens daily, another two roads in the area — one near Nagan Chowrangi and a portion of Rashid Minhas — were also randomly dug up last week, ensuing in the particular nightmarish jam over the weekend when many were stranded for hours and could not keep crucial appointments or get to funerals and weddings.

The following day, the city nazim had masterfully ‘ordered’ the work’s completion of the newly dug up roads within the next 15 days. Which means that either it is possible for all roads to be completed in such short duration (which is highly improbable since the claims are that the new roads are to be ‘long life’ roads) or that the mayor has a magic wand which allows him to turn wishes into horses IF he so desires! Ten days on, and we know that neither is true.

An excursion to the area around and beyond Nagan Chowrangi explains the obvious about the traffic jams that have been a permanent feature for months and are growing steadily worse. There are large pockets of area resembling Berlin after World War II. But while no Hitler perpetrated the war here, the city administration has tried to match his zealous spirit by bulldozing nearly three fourths of the city at one go.

It’s been two months since the 5km long stretch on Shahrah-i-Pakistan was dug. Residents and other stakeholders around the area have no clue as to the reasons which prompted the city government to get the road overhauled. It was in a fine shape, and with the Lyari Expressway starting operations in the near future, the traffic on this stretch would have become considerably reduced. Similarly, the two roads dug last week, were also in reasonable shape with no immediate overhauling essential, especially at a time when work in progress in the surrounding areas was already agitating the wretched residents.

What is more perplexing is that since the 5km stretch from the Nazimabad petrol pump roundabout through Liaquatabad No 10, going up till Gharibabad has also been totally hollowed out for the purpose of constructing underpasses, what purpose was being served in adding to commuter congestion by digging up a perfectly fine road in the same area at the same time? And these roads are the three main exit and entry points for the area residents to go towards the city for their livelihood.

The frenetic braking, building, and rebuilding of half the city is assuming frightening consequences and the rationale is bewildering — or is it? And while it takes the contractors just two days flat to dig up the strongest roads (as the money is released soon after) their restructuring takes eons. Incidentally two of these numerous dug up roads were also the long life roads — which have a healthy life span of 25-30 years — and were built just a couple of years ago.

The city nazim’s logic behind this ‘mass vandalizing’ of the existing road network is supported by the argument that it is better that the people face the problems at one go for a shorter duration rather than one by one for an extended period which would have been the case if work had not been done simultaneously. Sure, one might as well die quickly rather than go through slow torture!

But did the thought of not inconveniencing the citizens to this degree at all ever cross the authorities’ minds? It could have been possible, if the work had been carried out in phases with proper alternate routes chalk-marked beforehand for the massive flow of vehicles in the area which houses the majority of the city’s population. But then governments in our city have a fragile life span, and since the benefits of the projects would not have been ensured for the present ‘faction’ in a phased-out revamp plan, it was perhaps thought prudent by the city’s governing leaders to ‘do it all together’ and let the people sink or swim!

In places where the only objective is to widen the road, digging up the intact portion of the rest of the road is another unnecessary procedure being applied. Some years ago a decision was made, ordering contractors to carry out carpeting of potholed roads only at night time so that the commuters would not be troubled. In the present overhauling taking place, if only the side tracks which are being used for widening the roads were dug, and carpeting done during the night, these jams could have been avoided.

But the people’s comfort is never primary agenda in our authoritative set-up. And now, within a 10km radius around Nagan Chowrangi, all main arteries lie ‘unearthed’ and traffic here continues to stand still during peak hours almost tripling the commuting time. And despite masterful claims of 15-day completions it can hardly be hoped that the situation will actually change that fast.

There are more mystifying facts which may be mentioned here regarding the excavated/construction projects which totally defy reason. The three underpasses, for which the road from Nazimabad petrol pump intersection to Gharibabad has been dug up, will be built on one straight stretch of four kilometers. This means that cars will be going up and down and in and out of three different underpasses, three times for a straight stretch of less than ten-minute distance. Was a ‘joy ride’ for the poor citizens the basic idea behind this ludicrous underpass designing or were three separate contracts so lucratively attractive that the authorities blatantly defied logic?

With accountability at an all time low in this nation and particularly in Karachi, the validity of almost all the projects under way is in question. Instead of putting the city in turmoil and investing billions into the underpass projects, reviving the Karachi Circular Railway (by making the existing track operational) and mass transit system would have been a much better option. It would have addressed the dangers posed by the increasing buses and their Mafiosi organisation and it would have eased the traffic on the roads considerably besides offering the public a cleaner transport option and a less polluted environment.

Things as they stand now are pretty dismal. We have a situation where traffic jams are taking people’s lives as well as an environment saturated with dirt and rubble. If one road is made, its side lane remains dug up with debris strewn all over. Besides Nazimabad, North Nazimabad and Federal B. Area, many areas of the PECHS, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Clifton paint the same picture. Will citizens’ issues ever take precedence over personal agendas in our country?

A resident of Defence who actively involves himself in keeping his residential area clean by badgering the cantonment and gets his neighbourhood’s sidewalk paved by the DHA if needed, has a matter of fact comment to make. “The people get the governance they deserve. If the stakeholders of the area don’t rise and make a noise and complain to the town nazims or the cantonments responsible, no authority will ever bother on its own behalf to rectify the problems. But the people here have accepted all kinds of mismanagement and shoddy treatment, so why blame anybody else?”

From todays DAWN epaper (3rd May 2006)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7416/shfaislakhi6ju.jpg


http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/2686/sohrabgothflyover6kx.jpg

KARACHI: Work begins on Hassan Square flyover

KARACHI, May 2: The Works and Services Department of the city government has started construction of the flyover at Hassan Square intersection to cater to traffic to and from Sir Shah Suleman Road.

The Rs174.596 million flyover project is being constructed under the Tameer-i-Karachi Programme and is expected to be completed in four months.

A city government Official told Online that the project was delayed for five months as the present city nazim had rejected the old plan conceived by the former city government.

The former city government had planned two flyovers and two underpasses at this intersection. It had planned to construct a dual-carriage way flyover at the Hassan Square intersection to facilitate traffic to and from Sir Shah Suleman Road in Phase-I.

Another flyover was to be constructed at this intersection to cater to traffic to and from the University Road in Phase-II. This flyover was to overpass the Sir Shah Suleman flyover.

It had also planned to construct two underpasses to make this intersection signal-free. The right-turn underpass was to be constructed to channelize traffic from Liaquatabad to the old Sabzi Mandi.

Another right-turn underpass was to be constructed to cater to the Sir Shah Suleman traffic going towards the University Road, the official maintained.—Online


http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/03/local11.htm

Does anybody have any news on the status of the Food Street project which was to be set-up by the old native jetty bridge.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/04/SlideShow/pic09.jpg

Work begins on the flyover project that will connect Karsaz with the National Stadium for the convenience of the players and other VIPs.

KARACHI: No billboards on Sharea Faisal, says governor

KARACHI, May 3: A meeting held at the Governor’s House on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad decided to make Sharea Faisal billboard-free by June 30 this year.

The meeting also decided to meet all legal requirements in this regard and not to grant permission of installing any billboard along one of the major roads of the metropolis from now onwards.

The Chief Secretary, Fazalur Rehman, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Air Officer Commanding of Southern Air Command, and high officials of cantonment boards, railways, navy, military land and other departments attended the meeting.

It reviewed the mushroom growth of billboards in the city giving it an ugly look and posing threat to the live and property of people.

The governor stressed the need for joint efforts of various civic institutions for beautifying the city and providing better facilities to citizens.

In this regard, a coordination committee comprising senior representatives from cantonment boards and all concerned departments was constituted. The committee will be headed by the city nazim.

The committee will work for streamlining rules and laws regarding advertisement boards, buildings and other related matters.

The governor directed preparation of the terms of reference of the committee within a week’s time. He made it clear that no activity, giving the city an ugly look, will be allowed, emphasising setting of regulations for billboards’ quality, strength, splendour, distance and selection of proper place for them.

He called for enforcement of such regulations by all departments in their respective jurisdictions.He also took stern notice of hoardings installed on residential buildings and footpaths in a haphazard manner and issued directives for taking action in this regard.

The meeting was told that except the city government and institutions providing civic facilities including cantonment boards, no public or private institution had the authority to allow installation of billboards in the city.

It was further informed that the city government had so far removed 1,500 unauthorised billboards from the city.—PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/04/local2.htm

KARACHI: K-III system starts functioning

KARACHI, May 3: Karachiites on Wednesday started getting 44mgd additional water from River Indus with the functioning of K-III system.

The KWSB has decided to increase the quantity of water gradually and it is expected that the city will get a total additional supply of 100mgd water within a week through K-III system, a KWSB official said.

He said the KWSB had commissioned K-III system partially from Monday and initially 22mgd was being supplied to the water-starved areas of the city including Baldia, Orangi, Qasba Colony, Pak Colony and New Karachi.

After completion of physical work of K-III project in March, the KWSB carried out testing of its 13 components a few days ago and now the additional water was being supplied to the city, he said.

The 100-km-long K-III project has been constructed from Keenjhar Lake to Karachi city and from northeast Karachi pumping station to Hub city at a cost of Rs5.89 billion.

Out of 100mgd water, 95mgd would be supplied to Karachi city and remaining 5mgd to Hub city, the official maintained.

At present, 450mgd water was being supplied to the city from Keenjhar Lake and 55mgd from Hub Dam. The actual water need of the metropolis was 648mgd.

According to the KWSB official, the water level of Hub Dam is rapidly decreasing due to meagre rains last year. Thus, Wapda has informed the KWSB that water share of Karachi will further cut down after May 6 and only 45mgd water would be supplied to the city from Hub.

He said that the short supply from Hub Dam would not create serious water shortage in the city after commissioning of the K-III system as it would bring 95mgd additional water to the city.

Though the city would start getting a total of 590mgd water from different sources after full functioning of the K-III system, water shortage would persist in the city as the require need was 648mgd.

SHORTAGE: The KWSB announced that the installation of valve at 84-inch-dia pipeline supplying additional water from K-III project to Hub Pumping Station, which was to take place on Thursday and Friday, has been postponed.—Online/PPI


http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/04/local3.htm

KARACHI: Work on 267 projects in full swing, says Kamal

KARACHI, May 3: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has said that work is going on 267 development projects costing Rs11 billion and some of them were in the completion stage.

Addressing a meeting to review the ongoing development projects on Wednesday, he said that a speedy development process had started for the first time in the history of Karachi. He said after completion of these projects, Karachi would join the ranks of world’s developed cities. “The amount being spent has not been generated through the sale of government lands but by increasing the city government’s revenue,” he said.

In the past, he said, no attention was paid to the development of city which led to score of problems and need was being felt for start of development projects in every sector. “We do realise that problems did crop up with the launch of a number of projects simultaneously, particularly the traffic problem,” he said adding that if development work had not been started, Karachi would have left behind in the race for development.

“The development process cannot be speeded up if we wait for completion of ongoing schemes so as to take up new schemes,” he said.

Mustafa Kamal pointed out that despite being the world’s sixth biggest city, Karachi was still in the ranks of developing cities although it contributed 68 per cent of revenue to national economy. He said that it would take 18 to 24 months for all the schemes to complete while roads of New Karachi would be completed in 15 days.

According to him, it is for the first time in the history of Karachi that construction work of 72 roads has started on international standard and it is also part of the history that work on 10 flyovers and three underpasses also started simultaneously and the same would be completed in a few months. He told the meeting that work was also in progress on 155 sewerage and 27 water supply schemes in the city.

He observed that these schemes would not only benefit Karachiites but also have positive effects on national economic activities.

“I do not believe in merely installing plaques, but want to do practical work so that problems of Karachi are solved and basic needs of people are met with,” he said adding that this all would be possible only through fast development process.

The nazim expressed hope that Karachi would emerge as a developed city on the world map in 2007.

INDUSTRIAL ZONES: More industrial zones, including an automobile zone, will be established here to promote automobile business besides industrial and commercial activities.

This was stated by City Nazim Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday during a visit to Indus Motor Company, where he was briefed by company's vice-chairman Farhad Zulfikar and director Mohammed Saeed Jang.

After a visit to various sections of the company, the nazim said that the city government had launched fastest construction activities for city's infrastructure development which had no parallel in the past 56 years. He said that each and every step of city government would be a source of promotion of city's industrial and commercial activities and local and foreign investors would enjoy more facilities to make investment here. He expressed hope that very soon Karachi would become business hub of the region.

He said that automobile zone would be established on an area of 100 acres where every facility required for automobile development would be provided.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT: Mustafa Kamal convened a meeting of traffic management board on May 4 to chalk out procedure for initiation of action against smoke-emitting vehicles and those without registration number plate in the light of directive of Sindh High Court.

The management board, headed by Mustafa Kamal, was set up a few months back for improvement of transport system. The board members include DCO Karachi, DIG Traffic, representative of transport department, EDO Transport and a representative of city notables.

The High Court of Sindh had directed DIG Traffic to take action against smoke emitting vehicles within three months.

COLLEGES: Mustafa Kamal released the cheques worth Rs7.3 million for payment of salary to 120 teaching and 159 non-teaching staff appointed on contract basis as well as for provision of furniture in 29 colleges of Karachi.

He distributed the cheques among the principals of respective colleges at a ceremony held at Civic Centre.—APP/PPI


http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/04/local5.htm

KARACHI, May 4: The Sindh government will establish 40 dairy villages on 1,800 acres of land on the Super and National highways, said the Adviser to Chief Minister on Livestock and Fisheries, Fakir Mohammed Jadim Mangrio.

During a visit to a farm on the Super Highway on Wednesday, the adviser said the objective of the project was to help livestock holders set up small-size dairy farms and thus improve their living conditions.

In this regard, he said, a pilot project was being started on 800 acres near Ghukkur Phatac on the National Highway.

He said the Chief Minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, was paying special attention to livestock development and these projects were being conceived in the light of his directives.

Mr Mangrio said instructions had been issued to the Livestock Department to carry out a survey of government land on the National and Super highways for early implementation of the project.

The adviser had a detailed visit of the farm and made inquiries about meat and milk producing animals.

The Provincial Secretary Livestock, Dr Baz Mohammed Junejo, informed that it was Asia's biggest farm with 5,000 animals.

The DG Livestock Shahzado Malkani, Director Animal Husbandry Dr Ghulam Sarwar Shaikh, Director Breeding Dr Abdul Qadir Junejo, Director Poultry Akbar Soomro and others were also present.

Earlier, the adviser inaugurated Pakistan's first shrimp breeding station completed at a cost of Rs8 million. He urged the officials to pay attention to development and research.

He said there should be separate DGs for Livestock and Fisheries for better performance and directed the Provincial Secretary Livestock, Dr Baz Mohammed, to immediately send a proposal for these two posts.—APP

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/05/local19.htm

KARACHI, May 4: The National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) was provided direct link from Sharea Faisal for facilitation of patients and now ambulances and other vehicles on emergency services would enter NICVD from Sharea Faisal chowrangi.

The new entrance was formally inaugurated by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal at a ceremony here on Thursday. The DG NAB, Maj Gen Mukhtar Ahmed and executive director NICVD Prof Azhar Masood Farooqi were also present.

The land for the entrance was provided by the NAB while the city government spent Rs 3.2 million on its completion in just 90 days.

Speaking on the occasion and later talking to newsmen, the city nazim said that heart patients visit NICVD from every corner of Karachi. In order to facilitate them, land was obtained from the NAB.

However, Mustafa Kamal said it was not the solution and more access ways were being constructed, including one from the elevated expressway to be constructed along Sharea Faisal.

Mustafa Kamal said: “We have started very fast development process which will show significant change in the next few months.”

He informed that country's biggest under-passes are being constructed in Karachi. Earlier, the biggest underpass was 350 feet long while our under-passes are 600 to 700 feet long on which work is going on 24 hours.

To a question, the nazim said there was a need for 11 overhead bridges on Sharea Faisal for pedestrians, out of which work on four bridges has started and work on rest of the bridges would start soon.

He pointed out that there are five major hospitals in this area and provision of emergency access to them was in his mind from day one.

“I had already planned it and soon more emergency access ways will be constructed”.

He described as wrong the impression that under-passes cause problems. He said Gharibabad underpass is a two-year old project but work on it was not started.“I can claim that never before 24-hour work was done on development projects,” he pointed out.

He thanked DG NAB Mukhtar Ahmed for providing land at the request of city government.

Mustafa Kamal said that he would have similar cooperation from other organizations as well for public welfare and the suit set by NAB would be followed by others.

He said the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases (KIHD) in Federal B Area was being developed on an emergency basis as the ratio of cardiovascular diseases had been increasing in the city. He said that almost 600 medical staff, including cardiovascular experts, would soon be appointed in the KIHD and it would be furnished with latest equipment.

He said that better road network always helps save lives of emergency patients, as their early shifting to hospitals was crucial to save their lives.

He said that the city government was focusing on construction of roads. He said that presently work was under way on 72 roads in the city according to international standards. He said that these road projects would be completed within a few months.—APP/PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/05/local1.htm

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/05/SlideShow/pic11.jpg

KARACHI - May 2, 2006: Smoke emitting from buses on M.A. Jinnah Road is adding to pollution in the city. Traffic police are running a campaign against smoke emitting vehicles.


KARACHI, May 4: The Karachi Traffic Management Board on Thursday expressed concern over chaotic public transport system in Karachi and approved a ban on all public transport vehicles made prior to 1976.

The board also approved ban on all smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles in the light of order of the Sindh High Court, and asked the traffic police to ensure strict implementation.

According to details, the meeting of the Karachi Traffic Management Board was held here at the Committee Room of the Civic Centre with City Nazim and board chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal in the chair. DCO Karachi Fazalur Rehman, DIG Traffic Falak Khursheed and representatives of Sindh Transport Department, EDO Transport and private sector attended the meeting.

The meeting decided in the light of an SHC order that all worn-out, smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles would be banned at once. The DIG Traffic told the meeting that in Lahore and Peshawar, there was a ban on plying of 4-6 and 9-11 years old public transport vehicles, respectively. He said to encourage CNG-run vehicles it was necessary to stop registration of minibuses, coaches and rickshaws.

The City Nazim said to improve the public transport system in Karachi there was a need to pay attention not only to the public transport system, but also to traffic police. He said that the city government would ensure implementation of all positive suggestions given by the board, so that the traffic system could be improved in Karachi.

He asked the concerned officials to issue notices to car showroom owners, who were parking their cars on roads and footpaths.

He said all their vehicles should be inside their showrooms and roads were not meant for this purpose. He asked the Karachi Traffic Management Board to take required steps to improve public transport system in Karachi. He said traffic police should also ensure implementation of orders of the Sindh High Court.

He said that the CNG-run transport would be encouraged and the city government would allot more plots for setting up new CNG stations.

He said ban on old vehicles would certainly cause loss to transporters, but the health and lives of citizens was more important.

He said all old and shabby vehicles of Pakistan used to find their way in Karachi. He said this practice was creating hurdles to maintain the image of Karachi as one of the international cities.

He said that traffic improvement on Sharea Faisal was important, but it was equally important to solve public transport and traffic issues faced by Landhi, Korangi, Baldia, Orangi and other parts of the city.

The meeting was of the opinion that auto-rickshaw was the major source of creating noise pollution, while engines of old buses and other vehicles were adding to air pollution.

The meeting said auto-rickshaws should be banned, while like Lahore and Peshawar the old-model public transport should not ply roads of Karachi. The board would now meet after 15 days. The board members were asked to submit their proposals prior to the board meeting so that they could be tabled during the meeting for a final decision.—PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/05/local16.htm

KARACHI, May 5: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has said that non-availability of appropriate parking facilities has been one of the major reasons for traffic problems in the city.

He was addressing a meeting, held to review the transport system, at Civic Centre here on Friday.

Mustafa Kamal said that the city government was immediately constructing parking plazas at seven locations. He said that though the city needs would not be fully met with these parking plazas, work in this direction would continue until the problem was fully solved.

He said that work was going on in various sections to improve the transport system. He said if people would not be provided parking facilities, the vehicles would be parked on roads. He pointed out that on one hand underpasses, flyovers and roads were being constructed in Karachi, on the other work was in progress on bus terminal outside the city for inter-provincial buses.

The nazim observed that traffic problems would reduce considerably after completion of Southern Bypass, Lyari Expressway, Elevated Expressway at Sharea Faisal and parking plazas. However, these schemes would take time for completion and people would see a changed Karachi in 2007.

He referred to migration to cities world over and said that six to seven per cent people moved from villages to cities. In Pakistan, most pressure in this respect was on Karachi where population was growing at six per cent and, therefore, there was need to introduce technology in every field.

He asked the experts to submit their proposals in the next meeting keeping the ground realities in view as to which technology would be more suitable for Karachi.

The nazim said that the use of technology for solving transport problems had become imperative.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/06/local11.htm

KARACHI, May 5: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has directed the city government authorities to complete the recreational projects of Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim and Kothari Parade by the end of next month and open them for public.

He was presiding over a meeting at Governor’s House on Friday in which progress made in respect of various ongoing development schemes was reviewed. The meeting was attended by City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, Principal Secretary Mohammed Saleem Khan, DCO Fazlur Rehman and other officials.

The meeting was informed that at present work is under way on various development projects costing Rs 11.5 billion. The governor called for completing all the projects within the stipulated timeframe and had an appraisal about ongoing construction of roads and underpasses.

He directed that provision of facilities be made to people at the earliest and alternative routes be built during the course of construction work.

He also stressed on paying full attention to water supply and sewerage programmes.

The governor directed that work on Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine be completed within 15 days along with provision of all possible facilities to devotees, besides effective maintenance and cleanliness at Beach Park and accelerated work on its Second Phase. He was informed that Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim and adjoining projects will cost about Rs 480 million.

The meeting was told that the temple adjacent to the Bagh is also being renovated while Funland and Fish Aquarium are being beautified and upgraded on modern lines.

It was stated that besides green patches, flowery shrubs, trees and lightings, arrangements are also being made for 14 canopies and walkways in the Bagh while special care is being taken of items of children's interest.

Dr Ibad said after completion of these projects, effective arrangement be made for their maintenance .

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/06/local7.htm

KARACHI, May 5: The City Government will provide Rs 9.5 million in the next CDGK budget for development activities by union councils.

Of this amount, Rs5 million will be given for water and sewerage, and Rs 4.5 million for roads and improvement of street-lights while Rs 1.5 million will be provided to each member elected on reserved seats so that no sense of deprivation takes place with regard to developmental activities in union councils.

This was stated by chairperson, finance committee, Itrat Akhtar while chairing a meeting of the committee here Friday. She informed that some 1200 proposals have been received for incorporation in the new fiscal budget and these are under consideration.

Itrat Akhtar said the city government wants to carry opposition members along and does not want any indiscipline to take place in the May 6 Council meeting. She said opposition members would also be involved in the finalization of budget proposals and their opinion will be respected.

According to her, provision of medical facilities for members of the City Council is also being considered.

The meeting was attended by committee members Shabana Shabab, Mirza Azhar Baig, Mohammed Saghir, Saeed Ghani, Abdul Rasheed Baig and Mohammed Yunus.—APP

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/06/local13.htm

singaporean ur articles are equivalent to spam. nothing major just usuall pak news articles u have posted.

^^ I think he is giving good updates here

malpensa: This thread is for that purpose, for people who do not have access to Pakistani newspapers, they can view the progress news over here. I agree with swerveut, singaporean is giving valuable updates, even if they are from a newspaper.

KARACHI, May 6: The Sindh government has allocated 50 acres for establishing industrial park for the enterprising women in the province.

Addressing the members of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday, Sindh Women Development Minister Dr Saeeda Malik said that women would be allowed to open shops or set up small industrial units in the proposed industrial park. They may opt for boutiques or any other related business they wish to start, she added.

The proposed plan also includes entertainment and jogging facilities for the women folk and would set a new trend to be followed in other cities, she hoped.

She said that the government was also planning to set up training institutions for women so that they could be imparted necessary training for running the industrial units. She called upon the private sector to join in the efforts of the government.

She said the women in Sindh would be extended loans by Khushhali Bank whereas in other provinces, the First Women Bank would extend advance to women industrialists and entrepreneurs.

Saeeda Malik said that the participation of women in socio-economic development of the country was prerequisite to compete in today’s world of globalisation and open market competition. She said that economic empowerment of women was directly linked to their education and skill development for which the present government was taking measures and had allocated sufficient funds.

She said, “The women development ministry is working for provision of better healthcare to raise health standards of women, promotion of sports and cultural activities as well as raising standards of women education to control violence against women. Women’s role and their proper participation cannot be overlooked.,” she added.

The minister applauded the efforts of KCCI for establishing women entrepreneur sub-committee and said that it would serve as a model for other sectors in the country.

KCCI President Haroon Farooki said that Pakistan had entered in 21st century and there was an urgent need to eliminate old concept of gender discrimination.

Referring to the KCCI’s drive for enhancing women participation in business, he said that the KCCI was focusing on socioeconomic empowerment of the women by encouraging women entrepreneurs in the field of business and commercial activities. The KCCI had formed a women entrepreneur sub-committee and planned to reserve a seat for women on the managing committee of the chamber in future so that the women's committee could get a female chairperson, he added.

Earlier, KCCI Women Entrepreneurs Sub-Committee Chairman Mian Abrar Ahmad presented the welcome address and stressed the need for women's participation in the uplift of the economy. He said that the women entrepreneur sub-committee encouraged businesswomen to come forward and interact with their business counterparts to share their business capabilities.

KCCI former president Siraj Kassam Teli and others spoke on the occasion.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/07/local1.htm

keep it up singaporean

KARACHI, May 8: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that no leniency would be shown over the issue of smoke-emitting vehicles as they were spreading cancer in the city.

Informally chatting with a group of journalists here on Monday, he remarked that the health and life of citizens were more precious than anything other. “We will not surrender to blackmailing.”

In reply to a question, he observed that all vehicles declared unfit in other parts of the country were plying only in Karachi. He pointed out that in Lahore, no one could operate a public transport vehicle that was more than six years old and in Peshawar the validity was 11 years. He questioned the justification for allowing 50 and 60-year-old public transport vehicles to operate in Karachi.

He said that Karachi was the largest city of the country and being an international city, it should be a role model for other cities. He said that action against smoke-emitting vehicles had been ordered as per the directive of the Sindh High Court. He also asked for banning all public transport vehicles made before 1975. He said no objection in this regard should be entertained. The city nazim said that all such steps were being taken in the interest of citizens.

He noted that the court had issued the order a month back and transporters had sufficient time to make their vehicles fit, but they appeared not interested in improving the condition of their vehicles.

Mr Kamal pointed out that most of the public transport vehicles in the city were in a shabby condition and dangerous to public health. Replacing the obsolete with better things is a natural process and Karachiites should support the city government’s stance against the blackmailing on the part of those opposing the move because the city government wanted to protect the health and life of citizens.

Earlier, presiding over a meeting in his office, Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the city government was taking all out measures to control environmental pollution and to turn Karachi a pollution-free city.

He announced constitution of a high-level committee -- Clean Air Coordination Committee – which would work under the city government whereas the office of the World Conservation Union would serve as its secretariat.

He said the committee members would off and on exchange ideas on controlling pollution and play their role in formulating a concrete action plan in this regard, besides having inter-action with experts.

The city nazim said that due to environmental pollution, people of Karachi were suffering from various diseases. He said pollution had become a universal problem and if it was not controlled and taken up seriously at this stage, the situation would go beyond control in the coming days.-—APP

KARACHI: Residents of Karachi and those visiting Karachi can now enjoy dining at a ship without even going to the nearest island. The 85-million-rupee Floating Kitchen, which has also been named the Majestic Ship, will start operating in October, as eighty percent of the work on the project has been completed.

The ship, anchored at Sea View, will offer international cuisine. “A group of overseas Pakistani entrepreneurs had embarked upon the venture,” Defense Housing Authority (DHA) spokesman Lt Col (retd) Rafat Naqvi told Daily Times.

“Karachiites will soon have the luxury of dining on a ship without really making a sea journey. If they want to feel the splendor, grandeur, majesty, decor and dignity of the legendary Titanic, that too without any fear of sinking, they can just board the Floating Kitchen,” said Project Director Raees Ahmed. “We are in touch with the president’s secretariat and have already sent an invitation.” The construction work on the project was started in March 2004.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\09\story_9-5-2006_pg12_5

Malaysian firm offers to lay monorail system
By Fasahat Mohiuddin

KARACHI: It is surprising that despite deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi foreign investors are ready to invest in the metropolis as an investor has submitted a detailed proposal to City Nazim for establishing monorail system worth US 489 million dollars through a consortium of three firms.

The proposal has been submitted to CDGK for laying 15.2 kilometers long monorail seven meters above the ground from Merewether Tower to Sohrab Goth.

The Managing Director of Malaysian firm M Trans, Ahmed Zainuddin, told The News at a local hotel on Tuesday that the seating capacity of each coach of this rail would be 110 which could be increased as per requirement.

According to the proposal, the route of the monorail would be Merewether Tower, Boulton Market, old KMC building, Eidgah, Garden Road, Purani Numaish, Mazar-e-Quaid, Tin Hatti, Liaquatabad No. 10, Karimabad, Aysha Manzil, Water Pump and Sohrab Goth.

This electrically operated monorail would cover the whole distance in 25 minutes.

Ahmed Zainuddin said that this system was already in operation in Kuala Lumpur since August 31, 2003 and 35 million passengers had so far travelled through such network of 9 kilometers.

When asked about the fare he said it would be within the reach of a common citizen.

To another question about the terms and conditions he said these would be floated through Private Financial Initiative (PFI) and all the financial implications would be discussed with the city government.

Zainuddin further said that various other proposals had also been presented to the CDGK to resolve the transport problem of Karachi, adding that Integrated Public Transport System had been proposed for Karachi under which 3,475 CNG-fitted buses would be provided in phases to this city.

“Besides, we have offered Bus Rapid Transit System under which we would deliver 437 CNG buses which have a capacity to carry 60.5 million passengers per year,” he said and added, “it would be one meter above the ground with computerised ticketing system.”

Similarly, there was another feeder bus system comprising 1,268 feeder buses having a capacity to transport 115 million passengers per year, he added.

Ahmed Zainuddin said that these above proposals had also been submitted to the CDGK.

To a question he said he had met the City Nazim in Karachi at an exhibition where Mustafa Kamal requested him to submit proposals for resolving transport problems of the megapolis.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=5727

^^ Deteriorating law and order situation

bullshit! only a few isolated incidents that happen once in a while, otherwise, Karachi is very much like any other big city.

we have offered Bus Rapid Transit system

although a cheap solution, Karachi's transporation needs have already overgrown this concept and if created, it will have to be upgraded to light rail within a couple of years anyway. So why waste money on mediocre? Either at first the CDGK was building palaces in the skies by laying Maglev, now they are dropping far down to the ground for Bus Rapid Transit.

I think if the CDGK can research the company as being valid, they should just sign the agreement and go ahead with it! Delaying it anymore wont achieve anything. We desperately need it, and the company has proven their system because its already operational in Kuala Lumpur. And it also looks good! just go check it out on the Malaysian forums.

KL monorail website: http://www.monorail.com.my/monorail-info.htm

^ I agree, Monorails are a much better solution to the already failed KCR system, as it does not need huge amount of space as nearly 90% of the lines are overhead.

Salam,

This is an excellent news. Environmentalists prefer mass-transit over highways. Its good to hear that the project is still alive.

I hope some of the phases of Monorail include underground tunnels. It was the Tube that saved London in the time of crises...(WW II attack on London), they say. I wish, all our metros and cosmo-politans have underground transit system.... so that in case of emergency, masses can quickly avoid any big tragedy, by simply hybernating...

Peace.

I believe a monorail system would be a good option. But we keep forgetting that karachi's is huge and its population is even better. We will still need the bus service. Not everyone would be able to travle by Monorail. Bus service will help people a lot to be honest. we do not a good Bus transit system. something similar to toronto would be amazing.

KARACHI, May 10: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday laid the foundation of National Stadium interchange being constructed at the Stadium Road and Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi Road traffic intersection at an estimated cost of Rs 671 million.

The project is a part of a signal-free corridor (from SITE industrial area to Karsaz) and will be completed in four months. Another component of the interchange is an underpass at the same intersection, but work on it would be initiated after the completion of the National Stadium interchange.

Speaking on the occasion, the city Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, expressed his gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board for handing one-and-a-half acre of the National Stadium land to the CDGK for constructing the interchange.

“I am grateful to the PCB chairman, Shaharyar M Khan, who provided land for construction of the interchange.”

Highlighting the importance of the project, he said though an underpass is also part of the project, work on it has been delayed till the completion of the interchange to avoid problems concerning diversion of traffic. However, work on the underpass would begin shortly after completion of the interchange and it would be completed in four months.

Referring to the three underpasses being built near Nazimabad Flyover, Liaquatabad No-10 and Gharibabad and two flyovers being constructed at Shah Faisal Base and Sharea Faisal intersection and at Hassan Square, he said that pace of work on all these projects was progressing satisfactorily.Reiterating that all the eight projects -- three flyovers and four underpasses -- which are components of the signal-free corridor will be completed in their stipulated period.

“In fact, we have already made diversion for flow of traffic proceeding towards the National Stadium and one can see how smoothly the vehicular traffic is passing through the alternative routes provided from behind the National Stadium,” he said, adding a temporary signal had been installed at the Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi and Stadium Road intersection.

He said though 90 per cent traffic was moving smoothly on all the diversions made in connection with hundreds of gigantic projects currently being undertake in the city, efforts are being made to further improve the flow of traffic at all the project sites.

Giving details of the National Stadium’s interchange, he said it would have one 210 metre long bridge and a 580 metre long underpass.

Both the bridge and the underpass would have two lanes on either side, besides there will be 8000 square mile foothpath on either sides of the bridge and the underpass.

Meanwhile, the City Nazim visited North Nazimabad to review water supply situation, adds APP.

Talking to people in Block Q on Tuesday, the city Nazim said the areas receiving water from Hub dam should not face shortage after K-III water reaches Hub canal and complaints of water shortage be redressed within 24 hours.

The Nazim had received complaints about water shortage in Block Q for the last one week and in order to review the situation, he paid a visit to the area with Town Nazim Mumtaz Hyder.

A number of women residents told the Nazim that this area was receiving water in abundance but about a week back there occurred a water crisis.

On the occasion, Mustafa Kamal made inquiries from concerned distribution engineers and asked the chief engineer water to reach the area to assess the situation.

He directed that supply of water be restored within 24 hours or proper reason be given as to how this sudden shortage had occurred.

http://www.lahorerealestate.com/ads/public/img-1147295204.jpg

hi All

I had a look at the news on dawn.com about National Stadium interchange but the image was very small, is there anyway we can get the detail big image of the interchange?

http://www.dawn.com.pk/2006/05/11/SlideShow/pic09.jpg

KARACHI - May 10, 2006: Foundation laid for stadium interchange.

I believe a monorail system would be a good option. But we keep forgetting that karachi's is huge and its population is even better. We will still need the bus service. Not everyone would be able to travle by Monorail. Bus service will help people a lot to be honest. we do not a good Bus transit system. something similar to toronto would be amazing.

speaking of toronto, that raises an interesting issue. the monorails on the KL website look pretty small. we have a small rapid transit system in toronto's east end and it causes a lot of problems since its too small, and cant handle the crowds. considering that only about 1/2 a million people live in the east end, a similar sized monorail for Karachi would get crowded very soon, and would need to be upgraded. a large subway system is probably better, and would be able to carry a lot more people.

Mono Train project to be launched within one month: City Nazim

KARACHI: City Nazim Karachi, Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that the Sohrab Goth-Tower Mono Train project work under mass transit programme would be started within one month, which would go a long way in easing out the traffic hassles in the city.

Participating in Geo News programme ‘Nazim Hazir Ho’, City Nazim Karachi, Syed Mustafa Kamal told that he has given to each Town without any discrimination a sum of Rs50 million for the development of the city, which would further accelerate the pace of developments works in all the towns.

Nazim Karachi told that he was well aware of the city’s itching problems relating to potable water supply, collapsed sewerage system, shattered roads and traffic clogs and the City Government was persistently engaged in work for the solution of these sores.

He said that one consultant in each Town has been appointed for constant monitoring of underway works and for keeping the pace up without any pause.
Courtesy Geo

Sweet, if this Nazim actually gets this work started like he says, he would probably have done the greatest thing anybody would have done for Karachi since the creation of Pakistan!

^ A couple of days back he was also at the new M.A. Jinnah road where he confronted Showroom dealers who had parked their cars on the newly constructed road. Apparently the owners did not agree in removing their cars and there was a couple of shots fired from both sides :|

After that he ordered all cars to be removed from the Khalid Bin Walid Road (Home to the showrooms)

But the thing that surprises me is that firstly the owners had tried to bribed the nazim, and then they started firing on the Police and other people that were with the Nazim! Corrupt Bastards!

who is corrupted? Nazim?

^ The Showroom dealers

I think in Pakistan, lack of law enforcement for decades has resulted in a situation now that people break the law and think of it as their right to do it! then when sometimes out of the blue, when the police wakes up from its slumber again and realizes for a minute that it had to do something, the crime has become so established already that it has almost become a norm. I think the police should keep fighting it and try to make sure everybody keeps obeying the law and doesnt look aside it.

KARACHI, May 13: The federal government has agreed to revive the Karachi Circular Railway and implement the mass transit programme, said a press release of the city government issued here on Saturday.

It said City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on Saturday held a meeting with Federal Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed in his office in Islamabad that lasted for an hour. Federal Secretaryfor Railways Shakeel Durrani, Director-General of the Mass Transit Programme Malik Zaheerul Islam and other officers were present.

The city nazim briefed the federal minister on public transport problems of Karachi and especially the role of the KCR and the mass transit programme in lessening them. He said that to provide Karachiites better public transport facilities the revival of the KCR and the implementation of the mass transit programme were a must.

He said that delaying these projects would aggravate the public transport programme in Karachi. He said the patronage of the federal government was badly needed in this regard, especially practical steps by the Pakistan Railways to revive the KCR.

According to the CDGK press release, the federal minister agreed to these proposals and said he was aware of the public transport problem of Karachi. He said that only by complete revival of the KCR and the implementation of the mass transit programme this problem could be solved. He assured the city nazim that the federal government and especially the Railways Ministry would provide all-out assistance in this regard.

The press release claimed that the issue of the revival of the KCR got encouraging response in the meeting and both parties agreed that work would began on the revival of the KCR soon.—PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/14/local3.htm

What is up with the government? Two days they talk about the Monorail, then the next two days they talk about the KCR, then the next two days they say KCR is running deficit and must be scrapped, then again they get back to the monorail and then everything just keeps going round and round.

Make a decision dammit and stick to it! at least make SOMETHING work!

The KCR is not sufficient enough for Karachi, that is why they are opting for a Mono rail option along with the KCR?

They are goign with both the options which i think is a smart option. Its good... they should invest in both the projects.

Honestly this is just ridiculous...I think nobody knows exactly what to do with Karachi...and instead of sitting down and confronting the problem they just keep going around in circles...deliberate...I think so...

KARACHI, May 14: The federal government, on a proposal put forward by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, has approved Rs1 billion for improvement of water and sewerage as well as the industrial waste and sewerage disposal system for Korangi Industrial Area.

The approval was accorded at a high-level meeting held on Saturday in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Akram Shaikh.

The meeting was attended by Mr Kamal and Iftekhar Haider, (Managing Director of the KWSB, besides federal government officials.

According to the city nazim, he told the meeting that the Korangi Industrial Area, Pakistan’s biggest industrial area, had tens of thousands of people employed in the industries set up there and the revenue it generated for the government amounted to about Rs250 million a day.

The water and sewerage system in the KIA had been affected badly by the flash flood that had hit it 30 years back. No attention had been paid to restore the same since then.

He maintained that due to the non-availability of a system for the safe disposal of industrial effluent, these industrialists were faced with serious problems.

The nazim stressed that it would be in the interest of the country and people that the facilities provided to the biggest industrial area were in conformity with the international standards.

He pointed out that the CDGK was already spending Rs2 billion on the improvement of the water and sewerage systems in Karachi’s industrial areas and it would be beneficial to the country if the project he had put forward was approved.

After a detailed consideration, the Planning Commission approved the project.

Expressing his happiness, Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the approval accorded to the project was a good omen. He said that the present city government had started working on the development of the city's industrial areas from day one in its effort to bring them at par with those in the world’s developed countries.

He said it was because of such efforts that the development activities in Karachi’s industrial areas had started on such a large scale for the first time in the city’s history.

“Our initiatives would prove helpful in making important headway towards attracting increased investment and eliminating unemployment.”

The nazim said that within one year, the very face of the Korangi Industrial Area would change. The problems being faced by industrialists would be resolved and they would be able to bring their foreign guests here with a sense of pride.

He hoped that these measures would help industrialists introduce their products in foreign markets.

He said this would be a gift from the Haq Parast leadership for industrialists and other businessmen of Karachi.

Brig Iftekhar Haider, chairing a review meeting here on Sunday, described the approval of the project as a big success of the city nazim’s efforts.

He directed KWSB officials to ensure early completion of the ongoing projects in the light of the nazim’s policies.

He impressed upon them to work round the clock on the improvement of the water and sewerage system in the Korangi Industrial Area so that the schemes could be completed ahead of schedule.

He said that the these projects were a part of the nazim’s efforts to make the industrial areas of the city attractive for foreign investors and his mission should be accomplished with a sense of commitment.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/15/local2.htm

Rs1 billion approved for civic works of Korangi Industrial Area
By our correspondent

KARACHI: The federal government has approved Rs1 billion for revamping water and sewerage system in the Korangi Industrial Area.

A press release of the City District Government Karachi said on Sunday that a high-level meeting between City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, KWSB MD Iftikhar Haider and other senior officials and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission of Pakistan Akram Shaikh was held in Islamabad on Saturday.

The city Nazim briefed the meeting that Korangi Industrial Area was the biggest industrial area of Pakistan, providing Rs250 million to the Government of Pakistan daily in the shape of revenue.

The press release quoted the Nazim having said that due to floods in the area 30 years back, its water and sewerage system was badly damaged, adding that the situation was not only worrying industrialists but it was in the interest of country and the area people that basic facilities should be provided to the industrial area at par with the international standard.

He said that the city government had already started work to improve infrastructure of industrial areas with an estimated cost of Rs 2 billion. After a detailed debate, the department concerned, approved the money for the project.

Mustafa lauded this gesture of the federal government and hoped that it would help change the face of the Korangi Industrial Area and solve problems of the industrialists.

Kamal said if Karachi get prosper it will tantamount to the economic prosperity of the whole country. He said this is a gift from the CDGK to the Industrialists of the area.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=6478

KARACHI: President Pervez Musharraf is likely to inaugurate 100 MGD K-III water project on May 20 at the Dhabeji Pumping station.

Governor Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad, had performed the testing and commissioning of the 100 MCG- K-III and had stated that Karachi would now get an additional 100 MGD water, but the citizens are still waiting for it.

The city water requirement is 650 MGD and is presently getting 550 MGD with a leading ratio of 33 percent. Recently, the city Nazim while informally talking to newsmen said some technical problems had arisen which had caused delay to the K-III but assured that this problem would be overcome. The cost of the project was initiallyRs6.103 million but rose to Rs6.05million owing to the unprecedented price hike in steel, cement and other allied construction material.

The project was scheduled to be completed by July 2006 but due to integrated efforts of city Nazim this K-III project had been tested and commissioned on April 24. Governor Sindh , during the testing and commissioning of the project had made an announcement that Musharraf would be inaugurating this project. The governor had said that studies for the next 50 years were being undertaken.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=6611

KARACHI: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said very soon he would submit a proposal to the Sindh chief minister and the governor to close shopping centres in Karachi after sunset to address the power shortage resulting in load-shedding.

He said this while replying to a newsman’s question during a whirlwind tour of Dhabeji pumping stations of K-III water supply scheme as well as canals of K-II and K-III on Tuesday.

The canals, including the Karachi Gujjo Canal, have been widened and cleaned.

The Nazim was told that all his efforts of supplying water to Karachi through K-III would come to naught if power shortage persisted, and that he should draw up a plan to close commercial centres, excluding medical stores.

Mustafa agreed with the suggestion and said such a move could lessen load-shedding in residential areas. At this, a newsman interjected that the austerity plan should start from the city government offices by switching off their air-conditioners.

Mustafa said he was ready to start this from his office but when a foreigner came calling air-conditioner was a must. As regards officers’ rooms, he said he will weigh the pros and cons of implementing this plan.

He said he was in constant touch with the KESC management to try and resolve the issue of electricity shortage. One should understand the problems the utility is faced with, he added, and hoped that they would overcome this problem. Nazim said a study of the K-IV project has been launched which will be completed next year. Implementation work for supply of additional 100 MGD water to Karachi will start by 2009.

Kamal said with the commissioning of K-III project, water was being supplied to areas which had never received this precious resource through taps.

Mustafa also visited the Hub link-canal. The water from the river Indus being pumped in K-III also falls in this canal and now Karachi is getting 640 MGD water against a shortage of 20 MGD.

He said Hub canal was supplying water to Baldia and its adjoining areas and even if its supply shrinks, some 90 MGD from K-III scheme will keep flowing.

He praised Musharraaf who, he said, took keen interest in supplying extra 100 MGD water to Karachi. The dream has come true, he remarked. He said “we have eliminated the VVIP culture”, and went on to add that the president had issued directives that water should be supplied to citizens and red tape removed.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=6743

That sounds lke a bad idea.. It will only mess up the economy.

It might actually help so Wapda can catch up quicker than 2010 like their plan states.

KARACHI, May 17: A high-level meeting presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Wednesday reviewed the Karachi Circular Railway project.

After receiving a detailed briefing on the project, the chief minister directed the officials concerned to get the phase-II of the project completed within a year so that citizens could be provided with better and cheaper transport facilities.

He was informed that the City Transport Corporation would commence the KCR in collaboration with the Sindh government and Pakistan Railway for which the Japan International Corporation would extend a 40-year loan of $900 million at a mark-up of 0.45 per cent.

Dr Arbab was informed that the KCR coaches would be fully air-conditioned and its fare would be Rs15 only.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Additional Chief Secretary P&D Ghulam Sarwar Khero, director general of mass transit and other officials, besides representatives of the concerned Japanese companies, attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, presiding over another meeting, held at the CM’s House, Dr Arbab reviewed the progress of the work on exploration of mineral resources, particularly coal, in the province.

He said that coal reserves were not restricted only to Thar and Khanot areas but they were also available in Thatta, Badin, Tando Mohammad Khan, Hyderabad, Sunn and Aamri areas.

The meeting noted that exploration of coal in four blocks in Thar areas had been completed and the work in blocks 5 and 8 was under way.Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Irfanullah Marwat, secretaries Hameed Akhund and Ghulam Nabi Shah, and other officials attended the meeting.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/18/local1.htm

hi ... there is another 6 star residence in Karachi

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/9363/page23go.th.gif (http://img157.imageshack.us/my.php?image=page23go.gif)

That sounds lke a bad idea.. It will only mess up the economy.


it wont really effect economy , because most of the owners of stores dont pay taxes there .. it wont create any difference ...

KARACHI: A huge swimming facility for women, constructed at a cost of Rs100 million, is being grossly underutilised even though the city government spends Rs35 lakh annually on its upkeep.

The Women Sports Complex of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in Gulshan-e-Iqbal is, for all intents and purposes, a drain on the CDGK resources as it collects next to nothing from those using it.

There are hardly about 200 women members of this complex. Most of them have paid Rs10,000 for life membership whose grant is subject to city council’s approval.

“We never had an intention to discourage women from swimming, but at present their number is too small,” said a city government official.

The CDGK at present manages two swimming pools. One is on Kashmir Road, which is under-construction these days. The other is at Women Sports Complex, said district officer sports, CDGK, Rasheed Jamal.

He said he has submitted a proposal to the city Nazim in which he has called for changing the name of the complex and diversifying its activities.

He said once the name is changed, gents could also be allowed to use the swimming facility at separate timings — from 6pm to 9pm, for instance. Likewise, with summer vacations in schools only days away, children could also be allowed entry from 10am to 3pm. That way, he said, the complex will start generating cash for the city government.

He said the city government is not getting a single penny from the four or five marriage halls situated on the Kashmir Road. The money goes to a few special officers of the KDA Officers Association, a practice in vogue since the days of previous city government.

He proposed a complete ban on these marriage lawns. He said “we are endorsing the demand of the area people (seeking a ban on them).” People in the neighbourhood have filed an application in court for the purpose, calling the lawns a nuisance.

“The CDGK would extend full support to them in the court battle. The government is not getting a single penny from these marriage halls,” he said.

He disclosed that Pakistan’s biggest indoor Gymnasium was supposed to be built around the KMC Sports Complex but the plan had to be put on ice due to unavoidable reasons. Now the city government plans to revive this project, he said.

There is also a proposal to build a jogging track for youth and at these lawns we would also build a place for senior citizens. They will get a 50 percent off on membership of this complex, the official said.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=6880

KARACHI: Master Plan 2020 has entered its final stage and is expected to be ready in the next three months or so, declared EDO Master Plan Iftikhar Qaimkhani while talking to Daily Times Wednesday on the sidelines of a seminar on the project.

Twelve committees for education, water, power, transport, health, housing, recreation, etc. headed by experts and technocrats and engineers have been helping with the project. Furthermore, the city government has been in contact with the city’s seven cantonment boards, DHA and other authorities. The city nazim directed that the maps of utility services should be incorporated in the Master Plan 2020.

Meanwhile Naved Zaheer, who represents the consultants preparing the plan, briefed the participants of the seminar that the survey of all parts of the city have been completed.

PPI adds: It is expected to be the first such plan with legal cover. The master plans prepared in the past were confined to books, but now the City Council is authorised to approve the plan under SLGO 2001 and therefore it would have legal safeguard.

During the last 80 years, five master plans have been prepared for Karachi. A E Miram prepared “Report on Development of Karachi” in 1923, Lt Col Swaine Thomas made “Karachi Physical Plan” in 1945, consultants of a Swedish firm prepared “MRV Plan” in 1949, the defunct KDA with the financial assistance of the UNDP devised the “Karachi Development Plan 1974-85” in 1974, and again in 1991, the “Karachi Development Plan 2000”.

The Karachi Development Plan 2000 lost its validity at the end of the year 2000. Although this plan provided a complete framework for the growth of the metropolis up to 2000, it had neither been accorded official approval nor institutional arrangements necessary for its implementation.

Political vicissitudes also restricted the possibility of its implementation. As a result, its recommendations were continuously violated with impunity. During this period, illegal construction sprouted all over the city and squatter settlements formed and consolidated along major arterial roads and expressways.

The project for formulation of Master Plan 2020 is being undertaken by the CDGK as one of the components of the Tameeer-i-Karachi Programme (TKP) package.

APP adds: The consultancy services have been awarded to the local M/s ECIL, in collaboration with foreign consultants M/s PADCO.

The plan seeks to: Strengthen urban planning process, plan to provide sufficient and affordable serviced lands to cater to the housing needs of all income groups with greater emphasis on low income housing, provide planned alternatives to katchi abadis in view of E-IA of the locality, provide an adequate supply of potable water, provide modern garbage collection and disposal facilities, provide adequate educational, health and recreational facilities, provide adequate transport facilities, adequate and reliable drainage and sewerage system, growth of industrial areas and free trade zones, effective road networks and other means of communication.

The consultants are tasked with the: Evaluation of all previous Development Master Plans of Karachi; initiating development potential within and around the Karachi City District; profiling population, size, structure, and spatial distribution (Union Council-wise); reviewing housing polices and programmes.


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\18\story_18-5-2006_pg12_1

KARACHI, May 18: Amid loud applause from Lyari Town’s councillors, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal announced on Thursday a Rs805 million package for development of Lyari Town.

The development schemes include an ambitious project of providing additional six million gallons of water per day for solving lingering water problem of the town.

Unfolding details of the package at a well-attended gathering of the town and its 11 UC nazims and councillors, he said of the total amount of the package, Rs290m would be spent on laying of a new pipeline from Gharibabad to Lyari for supplying additional six mgd to the town from the recently commissioned 100 mgd project while the remaining Rs518m would be spent on as many as 39 uplift projects.

He pointed out that Lyari Town had been given a maximum quota of 6 mgd from the K-III project whereas the other towns have been allocated a quota of either four mgd or less from the K-III project. The ceremony held at the Lyari Town’s office was attended, among others, by Lyari Town’s Nazim Malik Mohammad Faiyaz, Naib Nazim Abdullah Baloch, DCO Fazalur Rehman, KWSB’s managing director Brig Iftikhar Haider and city government’s executive district officers of works and services and information technology.

He said that Lyari, despite being the oldest locality of the city, had always remained in the grip of various problems. The present leadership of the city government which believes in serving the people without any discrimination had chalked out a comprehensive plan for developing its infrastructure and improving its water and out-dated sewerage systems.

The other projects to be executed under the plan include construction of roads, development of parks and playgrounds, construction of major markets and provision of other basic amenities.

He said as soon as he became Nazim, he was asked by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s leadership that he is bound to serve the people of all the 18 towns of the city irrespective of their party affiliations, caste, creed and colour.

He said shortly after assuming the Nazim’s charge he held a meeting with the nazims of Lyari, Bin Qasim, Gadap and Keamari to know the problems of their respective towns although they did not belong to Haq Parast group and took some concrete decisions to solve them.

He mentioned that the CDGK had recently given Rs50m each to all the 18 towns for laying and improving their water and sewerage lines. Mr Kamal said that he would continue to provide same amount of funds to all the 18 towns for development activities in their respective jurisdictions without any discrimination as there was great deal of harmony among all town nazims.

He recalled that only recently when Lyari Town’s Nazim informed him that the entire garbage collection work in town had come to standstill as there were no funds for providing diesel to refuse collecting vans, he provided Rs5m to the nazim the very next morning for diesel so that people residing in the town might not suffer owing to non-lifting of garbage.

At the outset, he regretted that although city contributes to 70 per cent to the national exchequer, water and sewerage lines in most parts of the city were in a shambles as these were laid more than 30 to 40 years back.

Mr Kamal said since they believe in practical measures and not the cosmetics ones, he allocated a huge funds for replacing the out-lived water and sewerage pipelines.

He said that the new water pipeline which was being laid to help solve the town’s water problem for 30 years would be made operational in a record period of six months while other development plans would be accomplished in one-and-a-half year at an estimated cost of Rs808m and shortly afterwards this mount would be doubled for undertaking more and more welfare-oriented projects in the town.

COMPUTERS: The Nazim also handed computers to nazims of all the 11 union councils of the town for computerisation of record of birth and deaths certificates of their respective UCs. He also had a detailed meeting with the nazims of the UCs to know the problems of their areas.

Earlier, Mr Kamal mingled with people and discussed their problems while visiting different parts of Lyari Town.

In his welcome address, Lyari Town’s Nazim, Malik Mohammad Faiyyaz, expressed his gratitude to the city Nazim for taking keen interest in solving the town’s problems.

Describing water as the major issue of the town, he hoped that with the laying of new pipeline, people residing in the town would get rid of persisting acute water shortage.

Referring to a number of warehouses whose leases had already expired, he demanded of the city nazim to hand over these warehouses to the town after getting them vacated so that the town could set up welfare-oriented projects, such as gymnasiums and dispensaries.

KARACHI, May 18: The Sindh Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, has called for early finalisation of rules and regulations and their implementation to make Sharea Faisal hoardings free.

Taking notice of making the city a jungle of hoardings and giving it an ugly look, besides the danger these huge boards posed to life and property, the governor stressed taking preferential measures to stop the practice.

In this regard, he reviewed ongoing steps at a meeting held at the Governor’s House on Wednesday evening.

The governor said that besides improving the existing rules and regulations, the action taken by all concerned organisations for harmonizing the process should also be completed at the earliest.

The criteria for billboards, which will include their beauty, determination of location, distance, size, etc, will be equally adopted throughout the city, and rules and regulations thereof will be followed by all organisations in all areas.

In this regard, to create harmony between the city government, cantonment boards and other organisations, the governor directed the setting up of a civic coordination committee.

To be headed by the city nazim, this committee will work for bringing harmony in all civic facilities and affairs including the construction of laws.

The committee will comprise the chief controller of buildings, representative of Station Headquarters, divisional superintendent railways, executive officers of all cantonment boards of Karachi, administrator DHA, and general manager KPT. The DCO Karachi will act as member/secretary of the committee.

The civic coordination committee will submit policy proposals regarding hoardings and billboards, particularly regarding hoarding-free zones, auction, quality and a system for their maintenance.

It was decided that a joint line of action would be followed for bringing similarity in the Building Control Codes and Land Users Policy in Karachi whereby the DHA, the KPT, Site, cantonments, etc, would also remain synchronised with the same.Matters regarding general sanitation, sewerage, water supply, garbage lifting and other issues between various organisations would be effectively tackled.

The committee will also play its role in providing cooperation for infrastructure availability and implementation besides having collective steps among all institutions for the city's beautification.

All relevant agencies will also share their efforts in the formulation of the city’s master plan and its implementation besides regularly monitoring the same.

It was decided in principle that only the city government will be authorised to grant permission for billboards throughout the city, and that it will do this in cooperation with land owners.

The governor directed the EDO Revenue to stop such activities in the Air Force's operational areas, which attract birds there. In this regard, he stressed immediate steps against the establishment of poultry farms and dumping of garbage there.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/19/local17.htm

^ They should have hoardings at some places, removing all of them at the same time will give it a real empty look!

KARACHI: President Pervez Musharraf is likely to inaugurate 100 MGD K-III water project on May 20 at the Dhabeji Pumping station.

Governor Sindh, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad, had performed the testing and commissioning of the 100 MCG- K-III and had stated that Karachi would now get an additional 100 MGD water, but the citizens are still waiting for it.

The city water requirement is 650 MGD and is presently getting 550 MGD with a leading ratio of 33 percent. Recently, the city Nazim while informally talking to newsmen said some technical problems had arisen which had caused delay to the K-III but assured that this problem would be overcome. The cost of the project was initiallyRs6.103 million but rose to Rs6.05million owing to the unprecedented price hike in steel, cement and other allied construction material.

The project was scheduled to be completed by July 2006 but due to integrated efforts of city Nazim this K-III project had been tested and commissioned on April 24. Governor Sindh , during the testing and commissioning of the project had made an announcement that Musharraf would be inaugurating this project. The governor had said that studies for the next 50 years were being undertaken.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=6611

WASNT THE K-III SUPPOSED TO START FUNCTIONING BY MARCH 31ST??

I HOPE THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS THATS DELAYS ADD TO COSTS!!

It actually has been completed, thought it was delayed by about a week or so, but right now they are doing various testing on the K III project. And after its inauguration they would start studies on the K IV, construction on it is supposed to start in 07.

KARACHI, May 19: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, said on Friday that the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital would soon be turned into a modern hospital of the country.

He was speaking at a ceremony held for signing an agreement with two software firms – Premier Software and Inbox Business Technologies – which had been awarded contracts for introducing a computerised health management information system in the hospital in three months at an estimated cost of Rs80.5 million.

Referring to the present state of the hospital, the nazim said that it had often been heard that patients visiting the hospital were neither looked after properly nor were they provided with medicines. Besides, the doctors also remained absent from their duties, he said.

However, with the introduction of a computerised health management information system in the hospital, not only will the general public but even he himself would be able to get instant information about the number of doctors absent from their duties and the current stock position of medicines, he said.

All departments of the hospital would also be linked with other under the system, he added.

He said the system, which was being introduced in the hospital, would help in providing better facilities to patients, besides improving the hospital’s image.

He said the renovation work of the hospital’s trauma centre would be completed in June.

PROJECTS: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, has directed that work on all development projects should be carried out day and night on a fast track to ensure their early completion, adds APP.

He stated this during a visit to the Gharibabad, Liaquatabad, and Nazimabad underpasses on Thursday night.

Reviewing the pace of work, the nazim asked the contractors to expedite the laying of roofs over the underpasses to facilitate people in crossing roads instead of them passing through the dug-up soil.

The city nazim also asked the Nazim of Liaquatabad Town, Osama Qadri, to display guide signs for alternate routes for public convenience.

TRAFFIC TIMINGS: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, using his special powers under Section 144, has fixed timings for the movement of heavy traffic in view of industrial activities being affected in the city’s industrial areas.

Heavy traffic can now move through various roads from 11pm to 5am.

Accordingly, the traffic for the New Karachi and the F B Area industrial zones will move from Hawkesbay through Site, Habib Bank Chowrangi, Banaras Chowrangi, Board Office Chowrangi, Nagan Chowrangi, North Karachi Industrial area and Sohrab Goth Chowrangi.

Heavy traffic for the Korangi and Landhi Industrial areas from the Hawkesbay truck stand will move through Mauripur Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass, Sunset Boulevard, Main Korangi Road, Korangi Industrial area and Landhi Industrial area.

For the link road connecting the National and Super highways, the traffic from Hawkesbay Truck Stand will ply through Site, Banaras Chowrangi, Habib Bank Chowrangi, Board Office Chowrangi, Nagan Chowrangi, North Karachi Industrial Area, Sohrab Goth Chowrangi and the F B Industrial area.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/20/local7.htm

KARACHI, May 19: The Sindh Minister for Labour, Transport and Industries has directed concerned officials of SESSI to complete development works going on in different hospitals and medical centers as early as possible so that provision of effective medical facility for workers and their family could be ensured.

Reviewing progress report of different development projects in several SESSI hospitals throughout the province, he said all material and human resources be utilized so that better health services for workers and their families could be materialized.

It was informed that work on seven different projects in SESSI hospitals and medical centers is going on, and a total of Rs15.473 million have been allocated for these projects.

Under the project, Social Security Dhabeji Medical Centre has been upgraded and medical facility to workers and their families is being provided at the medical centre. Social Security Hospital at Nooriabad has been upgraded from 10 beds to 20-bed hospital and Rs0.832 were spent for upgrading the hospital. Ambulance, X-ray and laboratory facility has been provided in the hospital besides maternity facility.

Construction work of a ward consisting of 10-beds and a labour room in Social Security Hospital Kotri has been completed at a cost of 2.724 million rupees.—PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/20/local13.htm

KARACHI, May 19: The Transport and Communication Department of the city government has started construction of pedestrian bridges at four sites on build operate transfer (BOT) basis. It also plans constructing 39 other pedestrian bridges at different sites in the city on BoT basis.

A city government official told Online that the city government had planned construction of 28 bridges on different thoroughfares on BOT basis.

The city government had two years ago offered four private companies to construct pedestrian bridges on different thoroughfares. The project was initially delayed due to bureaucratic red-tapism.

At that time, a private company Armada had shown its willingness and started work on a project on the directives of former City Nazim Niamatullah Khan without signing any agreement. It had also constructed a bridge at the Urdu Science University a year ago.

Later, the ex-TCD administration ignored the project and no bridge was constructed in a two-year period. However, the new TCD administration took serious notice in the delay of these projects.

On the directives of the EDO TCD, Muhammad Ather, an agreement of a private company was cancelled and a warning letter was issued to other companies to start the project without any delay or face consequence.

On these directives, the concerned companies started work on construction sites at Lal Kothi, Duty Free Shop, Awami Markaz, and Colony Gate on Sharea Faisal.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/20/local16.htm

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan on Saturday directed the Sindh government to review the Shops Act and ensure closure of shops, markets and bazaars during night time for three months, except on weekends and holidays. He said that medical stores should be exempted from this closure.

He summoned the chief executive of the KESC and directed him to take immediate measures for improving the power supply situation in the metropolis.

According to a press release issued here, the governor showed serious concern over the problems being faced by the citizens, regarding intermittent power breakdowns and directed the CE KESC, to take all-out measures for providing relief to the people. Chief of Siemens (Pakistan), Sohail Wajahat was also present during the meeting.

He also directed the Wapda authorities to cooperate with KESC and help the utility in provision of smooth and uninterrupted power supply with required frequency.

BREAKDOWNS: Power supply disrupted in many localities of the metropolis causing hardship to citizens.

KESC officials said that Extra High Tension (EHT) line carrying electricity from Bin Qasim Thermal Power Station to Pipri Grid tripped on Saturday morning, causing power failures in Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Landhi and some other areas for 30 to 45 minutes.

Besides, some 250 feeders tripped due to the under frequency operation. Due to low frequency, KESC was receiving 250 megawatts less electricity from national grid forcing the utility to carryout a group-wise load-shedding.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=7287

KARACHI: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal laid the foundation stone of the first-ever multistoried parking plaza, costing Rs 293 million, in Lines Area adjacent to Empress Market here on Saturday.

Speaking at a simple but impressive ceremony, the City Nazim said that this parking plaza would be completed in eight to 12 months. This eight-storey parking plaza would have a capacity for 502 cars and 211 motorcycles, he said and added, this plaza would be outsourced and run by a private contractor.

Mustafa said once this parking plaza gets operational Saddar would be made no parking area with the help of traffic police, however, public transport would keep on plying. At present people used to visit Saddar under a compelling choice, he said, adding, “But we would like to see people visit Saddar and feel proud that they have visited an old area of Karachi”.

He said it was unfortunate that the city roads were very wide as compared to other cities but encroachments on the roads had turned them into narrow streets.

Mustafa said that the CDGK would build more such plazas for which land has been earmarked in Clifton and PECHS.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=7289

KARACHI: President Pervez Musharraf is expected in the metropolis on Sunday (today) on a two-day official visit. He is scheduled to inaugurate the K-III water supply project, officials said. He would also be the chief guest at the launching ceremony of a foreign bank in the city. The president would go to Hub to inaugurate the Marble City project and to meet industrialists of the area. Sources said that he may meet some representatives of the ruling coalition in Sindh and chair a meeting to review the ongoing power crisis in the metropolis.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=7300

KARACHI: Owing to the overwhelming demand, Creek Marina is launching the 2nd Phase of its project today at its site, which is located at Beach Street No. 28, Phase VIII, DHA, Karachi. All current and prospective buyers are invited to witness the Phase 2 Sneak Preview and the construction works at the site.

Effective today, Creek Marina’s sales office will also be relocated to the site to enable buyers and prospective buyers to view the construction works in progress whenever they visit the office. The contact numbers will be changed to 92-21-8394757 / 8394778 / 8394782.

Customer mortgage financing will be exclusively provided by Askari Commercial Bank Ltd.

Onsite, a viewing deck - the first in Pakistan, has been built to enable visitors to view the progress of works, of the respective blocks as well as appreciate the views the apartments will eventually offer. “To date, the foundation construction is progressing faster than scheduled. All construction works are being minutely supervised by a team of expatriates and local professionals. The foundation contract has already been awarded to a foreign and local joint venture comprising IVCC - Bachy Soletanche (U.K) - PMC (U.K.) and is expected to be completed ahead of scheduled,” said Mr. Jerry Mak, Project Director of Creek Marina.

Once completed, Creek Marina will be the first 6-star residential development in the country. It has been designed to incorporate the highest level of building safety and security. The building structure is also designed to withstand winds and earthquakes of much higher intensity than those specified in the building codes. This was considered to be a worthwhile additional cost to protect the investment of buyers and provide a peace of mind to the occupants.

The luxury condominium project is designed by a team of world-renowned consultants led by Meinhardt (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. The interior designs have been specially created by the world’s famous hotel designers - Hirsch Bedner Associates of USA. The construction of superstructure, finishes and all the mechanical and electrical systems will be carried out by international contractors.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=7212

KARACHI, May 21: Nazim of Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal on Sunday requested President Pervez Musharraf to help the city government in the setting up of a water treatment plant which will cost Rs6 billion.

He also requested the president for 1,200 cusecs additional quota of water from the Indus for K-IV 100mgd water supply project and to meet the 650mgd water requirement for Karachi for the next 25 years.

He made the request in his welcome address on the occasion of formal inauguration of 100mgd K-III water supply project at the Dhabeji Pumping Station.

The nazim described the inauguration of this project by the president an epoch-making event.

He said the project was earlier to be inaugurated by the president on May 23 but he changed the programme for today.

Mustafa Kamal said this project was conceived in 2002 and work started in 2003 due to the sole initiative of the president who personally monitored it throughout.

KAMAL praiseD: President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday spoke highly of the City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, and described him a young man with great dynamism.

Speaking at the formal inauguration of the Rs5.954 billion K-III 100 mgd water supply scheme at Dhabeji Pumping Station, the President amidst applause remarked that the nazim of Karachi was working with great dedication and commitment, assuring him of full backup.

The President asked the Sindh Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Mustafa Kamal to focus on the city's requirements and improve the traffic and road infrastructure.
He noted that lot of work was being done and underpasses and bridges were being constructed, which on completion would make the road from Site to airport signal-free.

He expressed hope that as stated by the nazim, these projects would be completed in four months, while mentioning that one and a half month had already passed.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/22/local20.htm

KARACHI, May 21: The union council nazims of Shah Faisal Town have suggested the immediate construction of a dual road from Shah Faisal Colony No-5 to Quaidabad via Azeempura-Juma Goth, and building of storm drains in various areas of the town.They also suggested the town Nazim, Muhammad Imran, to construct overhead water tanks in each UC to overcome the scarcity of water.

The suggestions were presented in a meeting summoned by the town nazim to review ongoing development projects and to consult UC nazims about future projects.

Mr Imran urged the UC nazim and members of the town council to devote their best efforts in making the town free from problems.

Naib Nazim Ali Akbar and Town Municipal Officer Syed Barkaat Ahamd Rizvi were also present in the meeting.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/22/local16.htm

KARACHI, May 21: The Institute of Business Administration will set up an independent centre for entrepreneurship for the training and guidance of young men and women who plan to set up their own businesses.

The IBA board of governors has already accorded approval to the project, which would get some financial and technical support from the US government as well.

The Director IBA, Danishmand, told Dawn that the centre, which will be set up within the IBA on the KU Campus, would be governed by a separate body. “We hope to offer courses at the ‘Centre for Entrepreneurship in Pakistan’ in the second half of next year,” he added.

He said that the US had chosen the IBA for establishment of the centre and had agreed to support it under its Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiatives (BMENA).

In addition to providing hands-on knowledge about setting up businesses and preparing business plans, the Centre will also conduct research to identify training needs, document how entrepreneurship is developed in Pakistan, its opportunities and obstacles, rules and regulations for business, and suggestions for policy/procedures improvements.

Mr Danishmand said there was a need to develop realistic training material in all departments of business, including labour regulations, dealing with banks, income tax, sales tax, labour laws, and documentations.

Courses would be developed in Urdu and other regional languages as well, he mentioned.

He said that the policy making board for the Centre for Entrepreneurship would include suitable members of the IBA faculty and administration, senior members of the Karachi business leadership, especially those interested in business entrepreneurship, representatives of the foreign affairs ministry, economic affairs department and the Higher Education Commission.Underscoring the need for such a centre, he said there was a need for training of young man and woman entrepreneurs, who had ambitions and ideas but no experience or guidance.

The centre has also been aimed at supporting people who have the potential and ideas but lack information about planning, establishing, managing and developing new business.

He said there was a need for professional training of people such as engineers, doctors, technical diploma holders in establishing and managing enterprises. “We will offer different short and long duration courses at the new centre,” he added.

He further said that the IBA was also in the process of producing educational training material in simple Urdu so that the modern concept, principles and methods of business management become accessible to men and women, who did not have the privilege of studying at the IBA.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/22/local13.htm

KARACHI, May 21: Chief Minister’s Adviser on Environment, Alternate Energy and Information Technology Noman Saigal said that the World Health Organisation and other international organisations of health and environment had started compiling reports about pollution created by factories of Karachi and interior Sindh and human losses caused by it.

He was speaking at a dinner hosted in his honour by industrialists and investors of Punjab on Saturday night. He said that the incidents of industrial pollution were part of a conspiracy against Pakistan’s exports. He said that the industrialists involved in violation of Section 126 of Environment Act 1997 as well as the World Tradde Organisation laws were giving a bad name to the country and its products at international level. He said that it was due to the violation of environmental laws that the way was paved to get Pakistani products banned by the WTO.

Noman Saigol said that the provincial environment department had stressed upon improving environmental status of all factories in Karachi and the interior of Sindh within two years, but some industrialists did not obey the environmental laws and failed to install treatment plants in their units.

He warned that in the next two years the WTO, the WHO and other international organisations would impose complete ban on exports of products if those factories in Sindh were found involved in violation of environmental laws, and this would cause great loss to Pakistani exports.

The industrialists and investors of Punjab, on the occasion, showed their willingness to set up industries in Karachi and the interior of Sindh and gave some suggestions to the adviser in this regard.

Noman Saigal welcomed their suggestions and assured them of possible cooperation on behalf of the Sindh government. He asked them that before setting up industries they should contact the Sindh Environment Protection Agency for conducting their environmental survey.He said that providing complete information about the environmental laws to industrialists was the need of the hour. He said that reputation of Pakistan, especially Sindh, regarding environmental issues was being affected at international level.

He said that the government wanted to invite international investors so that it could emerge as a good region for industrialisation, investment and environment. He deplored that a few industrialists of Sindh were involved in hatching conspiracies against Pakistani exports by deliberately violating environmental laws and giving Pakistan a bad name in the world.

Reiterating that due to this irresponsibility of a few industrialists the image of the whole country regarding environmental condition is being tarnished, the adviser urged the industrialists to obey local and international environmental laws and manufacture their products according to international standard.—PPI


http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/22/local15.htm

KARACHI: Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Administrator Brig Maqsood Hussain inaugurated a horticulture library and an air-conditioned conference hall at the Garden Center of Horticultural Society of Pakistan (HSP) in DHA Phase-II Tuesday.

On the occasion, certificates were distributed among 20 participants of the gardening course organized by the HSP. The participants, all women, learned how to maintain house gardens, arrange flowers, etc. A large number of people, including columnist Ardeshir Cowasjee, attended the ceremony.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\24\story_24-5-2006_pg12_8

KARACHI: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) began a campaign against water pollution in the city and set up a 24-hour Contamination Removing Unit (CRU), Tuesday.

KWSB Managing Director Brig. Iftikhar Haider warned that using water from illegal water connections and wells could cause gastroenteritis and other waterborne diseases, as water obtained from these sources is usually polluted. He asked citizens to be cautious and avoid using water that smells unusual. He said that boiled and filtered water should only be used for drinking. He appealed to citizens to lodge complaints against polluted water and choked sewers with the KWSB.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\05\24\story_24-5-2006_pg12_7

Anyone have any idea on the new Metropole Hotel? I heard today that its going to be 50-Storey high and being built at the same place (where the old Metropole was).

can someone plz post pics of the current metropole location..and pics of the hotel as well. ??

New sewerage line in Gulberg town
By our correspondent

KARACHI: Work on laying of 2,700 feet long 12-inch diameter sewerage line from Gulberg Chowrangi to Water Pump will kick off on May 28.

Under Tameer-i-Karachi Programme, 8-inch diameter old pipeline will be replaced with new one which would improve sewerage system in the town. The Gulberg town Nazim Maud Hayat will perform the inauguration ceremony.

The Jamshed Town Nazim has drawn a line for car showroom owners to park their cars on Khalid Bin Waleed road and New MA Jinnah road and cars parked beyond that line would be towed away and a fine would be imposed on the defiers.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Town Nazim with car show room owners.

He said if the violation was done more than one time then the fine fee would be doubled and if the act was not stopped then the cars would be impounded. He also warned against auctioning impounded cars.

He said the car parking would be allowed till June 30 and the town administration has submitted a proposal to the city government that these show rooms be shifted far away from the downtown, adding that the step has been taken in the larger interest of citizens.

Yet final touches have been given for the Korangi Festival to be held from May 26 to 28 at Eid Gah ground Korangi number 3. The town municipal officer told newsmen that various stalls have been set up for the festival.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=8020

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/26/SlideShow/pic10.jpg

KARACHI - May 25, 2006: Construction work is under way on Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim at Clifton on Thursday.—APP

http://www.dawn.com.pk/2006/05/27/SlideShow/pic10.jpg

KARACHI - May 26, 2006: Work in progress on the Nazimabad underpass.—APP

KARACHI: The beautification plan of the most important road of the city, I I Chundrigar Road, has been delayed till next year, as the steering committee of the State Bank of Pakistan has sent a letter to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) not to start the work till the on-going work on Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road is completed.

Informed sources told The News that the steering committee, headed by Shaukat Tareen, communicated to the city government some five days back that the beautification work on I I Chundrigar Road should not be started till M T Khan Road project was completed.

It may be mentioned here that the completion of M T Khan Road work has been further delayed after the KPT cancelled the contract of Ayaz Builders and the job has now been awarded to Frontier Works Organization (FWO).

The work on M T Khan Road was earlier scheduled to be completed on April 19 this year. The biggest hurdle in remaking the roads is the relocation of utility services lines and so far up to 50 per cent of this work has been completed on the M T Khan Road. The cost of 2.56 kilometers long MT Khan Road project is estimated at Rs266 million.

Realising the sufferings of the people owing to dug up patches on the I I Chundrigar Road, Shaukat Tareen has directed for carpeting the patches on the left side of the excavated road.

Informed sources said that patchwork was technically not possible and for this the City Nazim has to give an approval, as the patchwork would destroy the trenches where the sewerage lines have been laid down.

The Transport Department had started re-routing traffic from February 20, 2006 on I I Chundrigar Road and the work on its beautification plan should have started by the end of June.

Owing to excavation dust is scattered all over the I I Chundrigar Road, posing serious health hazard to passers-by, particularly office-goers.

The cost of the I I Chudrigar Road’s beautification project is estimated at Rs22 crore and despite issuing tenders for five times none of the contractors could be hired as they had quoted higher cost of the work.

Sources said six tenders were recently issued and only one contractor submitted the bid quoting the cost of Rs44 crores i.e. double than the one estimated by the city government.

Consequently the contractor was disqualified and now it has been decided to re-tender the beautification plan project for which National Logistics and FWO would also be asked to submit their tenders.

This was for the second time that tenders were re-issued and again tenders could not be opened.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=8358

KARACHI, May 28: The City District Government Karachi on Sunday decided to set up a foreign investment secretariat to facilitate investors.

This was decided in a meeting held here with City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal in the chair. DCO Karachi Fazalur Rehman and other officials also attended the meeting. It was also decided that the foreign investment secretariat would be set up within a week. The city nazim said that big cities need master plans. He said that the CDGK officials should focus on preparing a master plan for Karachi as progress of the whole country was linked with progress of this mega city.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/29/local17.htm

can some one take a map or satelite images of the places in khi where these development projects are takin place

KARARACHI, May 29: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal announced on Monday that work on much-publicised and long-awaited Corridor-I of Karachi Mass Transit System, from Mereweather Tower to Sohrab Goth, will begin either in June or July.

Besides, the ground-breaking ceremony of an elevated expressway, to be built on BOT basis by a Malaysian firm (from Jinnah bridge to Quaidabad) as an alternative route to Sharea Faisal will take place on Aug 8 and it will completed in two-and-a-half years, he added.

Speaking at a news conference, he unveiled the details of his recent week-long visit to China where he had detailed discussions with the Shanghai’s mayor and representatives of various multi-national companies who played a vital role in the progress of Shanghai.

Terming his talks with the Shanghai mayor as ``successful and fruitful’’, the Nazim said since Shanghai had made progress by leaps and bounds, the mayor was asked to assist the city government Karachi in various sectors, such as city’s infrastructure, solid-waste management system, mass transit system and promotion of investment in Karachi.

He said the Shanghai mayor was also requested to send a delegation of experts to Karachi so that the CDGK could also benefit from their experiences in different sectors, especially those relating to mass transit corridor, circular railway, elevated expressways on major and busy roads, as well as city’s master plan.

Expressing his gratitude to the Shanghai’s mayor for ensuring all possible help to the CDGK in various sectors, he said the delegation of Chinese experts would soon be visiting the city to inspect mega projects in Karachi.Recalling that Karachi and Shanghai were declared `twin-cities’ after the signing of an agreement in 1984, Mr Kamal deplored that although 22 years had elapsed, no progress had, so far, been made.

He said that since Shanghai is not only an important city of the world, but its economy also ranks at No one among the cities of the world, the CDGK has now decided to take benefit from the twin-cities agreement so that contacts between the two cities of both the friendly countries are revived and Karachi is benefited from the rich experience of Shanghai, especially in developing its infrastructure.

Referring to his meetings with the representatives of various multi-national companies of Shanghai, he said he was pleased to note that dozens of the multi-national firms were willing to invest in the city.

He was optimistic that with the arrival of Shanghai’s investors in Karachi not only the city’s infrastructure would be developed, but job opportunities would also be created on a large scale for youths, especially the educated ones.

He said keeping in view the interest being shown by foreign investors in the city, the CDGK has decided to set up its foreign investment secretariat which will start functioning within a week.

He said the task of the CDGK’s foreign investment secretariat would be to facilitate and attract foreign investors through the country’s foreign embassies. The foreigners would also be properly guided concerning their investment in the city’s mega projects.

At the outset, the Nazim said at present as many as 551 development projects are being undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs30 billion and work on all these projects was progressing satisfactorily and strictly in accordance with their scheduled date of completion.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/05/30/local1.htm

good news

KARACHI: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that uplift projects worth Rs8 billion are underway in Korangi industrial area and after their completion it will become one of the best localities in the metropolis.

He was speaking at the closing ceremony of a three-day Korangi Festival organised by the Korangi Town Administration. Thousands of people visited the festival, which featured cheap item stalls for low-salaried persons, besides food mela, garments and other items.

Kamal lauded the town administration for organising such a programme to provide cheap entertainment to people. He told the ceremony that on insistence of the citizens, it had been decided to hold the festival annually.

He said the city government was leading people to a “new” Karachi as uplift projects were underway in the entire metropolis and Karachiites would soon witness a good change. The city Nazim said that Korangi Industrial Area had always been neglected despite the fact that it contributed daily Rs250 million to the government exchequer. But present city leadership has started development work in the area and new roads are being constructed and water supply and sewerage lines are being laid, while several projects are near completion, he added.

Kamal vowed that Karachi would be turned into an exemplary city after two years by providing it with all the basic facilities. KATI Chairman Gulzar Firoze and Korangi Town Nazim Muhammad Arif Khan also spoke on the occasion.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=8597

KARACHI, May 29: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal announced on Monday that work on much-publicised and long-awaited Corridor-I of Karachi Mass Transit System, from Mereweather Tower to Sohrab Goth, will begin either in June or July.

Besides, the ground-breaking ceremony of an elevated expressway, to be built on BOT basis by a Malaysian firm (from Jinnah bridge to Quaidabad) as an alternative route to Sharea Faisal will take place on Aug 8 and it will completed in two-and-ahalf years, he added.

Speaking at a news conference, he unveiled the details of his recent week-long visit to China where he had detailed discussions with the Shanghai’s mayor and representatives of various multi-national companies who played a vital role in the progress of Shanghai.

Terming his talks with the Shanghai mayor as ``successful and fruitful’’, the Nazim said since Shanghai had made progress by leaps and bounds, the mayor was asked to assist the city government Karachi in various sectors, such as city’s infrastructure, solid-waste management system, mass transit system and promotion of investment in Karachi.

He said the Shanghai mayor was also requested to send a delegation of experts to Karachi so that the CDGK could also benefit from their experiences in different sectors, especially those relating to mass transit corridor, circular railway, elevated expressways on major and busy roads, as well as city’s master plan.

Expressing his gratitude to the Shanghai’s mayor for ensuring all possible help to the CDGK in various sectors, he said the delegation of Chinese ex perts would soon be visiting the city to inspect mega projects in Karachi.Recalling that Karachi and Shanghai were declared `twin-cities’ after the signing of an agreement in 1984, Mr Kamal deplored that although 22 years had elapsed, no progress had, so far, been made.

He said that since Shanghai is not only an important city of the world, but its economy also ranks at No one among the cities of the world, the CDGK has now decided to take benefit from the twin-cities agreement so that contacts between the two cities of both the friendly countries are revived and Karachi is benefited from the rich experience of Shanghai, especially in developing its infrastructure.

Referring to his meetings with the representatives of various multi-national companies of Shanghai, he said he was pleased to note that dozens of the multi-national firms were willing to invest in the city.

He was optimistic that with the arrival of Shanghai’s investors in Karachi not only the city’s infrastructure would be developed, but job opportunities would also be created on a large scale for youths, especially the educated ones.

He said keeping in view the interest being shown by foreign investors in the city, the CDGK has decided to set up its foreign investment secretariat which will start functioning within a week.

He said the task of the CDGK’s foreign investment secretariat would be to facilitate and attract foreign investors through the country’s foreign embassies. The foreigners would also be properly guided concerning their investment in the city’s mega projects.

At the outset, the Nazim said at present as many as 551 development projects are being undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs30 billion and work on all these projects was progressing satisfactorily and strictly in accordance with their scheduled date of completion.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/text/local1.htm

Notice how the news item is mostly about the pact with Shanghai and only two lines are about the mass transit. Still the heading says its about the mass transit proposal.

Still, no details and seems like an empty promise.

Great news. Karachi desperately need one extensive metro system.

KARACHI: An eight-member delegation of IJM Corporation of Malaysia would be coming to Karachi next month to meet City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal and technical experts to sort out technical hurdles in executing the work on 24-kilometer elevated expressway from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad. So far traffic and topographical surveys of the project have been completed.

An official of the IJM Corporation told The News that the structural drawings as well as the whole drawing data would be sent to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) for approval.

He said the project involves a highly technical process of soil testing of specified area to determine load capacity of the soil, for which tenders would soon be floated.

“After this we would start work on structural designing and feasibility of the plan,” he said and hoped that by August this year rigging would be carried out at different spots on Sharea Faisal. The official said the delegation would also meet different EDOs of the city government involved in the project in order to remove all sorts of hurdles in the execution of the project, adding that the CDGK has so far extended all out cooperation in this regard.

The City Nazim has already announced that the foundation stone laying ceremony would be held on August 8 this year.

The IJM Corporation has acquired an office on Sharea Faisal which is being renovated following which the corporation would shift its office from Defence.

Sources said it was premature to comment on this project in detail but the people should be clear in mind that IJM was one of the biggest construction companies of Malaysia and they were fully capable to handle this mega project.

Replying to a question the official said it would be difficult to say as to how many people would be hired from here, adding that local people would certainly be given preference.

The project involves construction of 24 km long and 25 meters wide expressway having three lanes on each side. The project costing US $ 225 million would be completed in three years time.

Six interchanges would be provided on the 24 km long elevated expressway - one each at Quaidabad intersection, Star Gate, HIR Road, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Hotel Metropole and Jinnah Bridge (Native Jetty).

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=8742

good news! wow! these people are moving fast!

KARACHI: Various departments of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) are being gradually computerized, particularly the Revenue Department which is regarded as the backbone of the city government.

Official sources told The News that computerized attendance system would soon be introduced for the city government employees in order to eliminate all sorts of corruption at grassroots level.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal had been saying that there was no stick or tool to stop corruption in this modern age except to computerize the entire record-keeping process so that the menace of bribery could be curbed.

Mustafa said nowadays drawings were approved by the KBCA through a computer system, for which the people once used to pay heavy amount for such work.

At least 178 union councils have been provided with computers to maintain tampering-free birth, marriage and death records.

Sources said that now these records would also be interlinked with the centralized computer system of the CDGK as a back-up.

With the computerization of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital’s records, the theft of medicines would also be stopped, which once used to be a common practice at the hospital.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=8902

KARACHI: Any kind of illegal work found in the jurisdiction of CDGK would be undone with full strength.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal said this when asked that Chief Minister Sindh Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim during the recent political crisis had ordered that no goth should be demolished without his prior permission.

The City Nazim said that any kind of encroachment in the limits of city government would be removed at all costs, adding that till he remains the City Nazim he would continue carrying out operation against encroachments and would not tolerate any kind of resistance in this regard.

Mustafa said there were about 325 legal goths in Karachi, which were not touched by the city government.

It is worth mentioning that the city government’s demolition squad remained idle owing to the recent political crisis in Sindh after the chief minister made his permission mandatory for carrying out any demolition operation. Informed sources said an anti-encroachment operation would soon be carried out in the goths where the habitats have grabbed huge chunk of govt land.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=8894

why gov. is not attracting investmant in KESC as it has real power deficieny???????? i think gov. must build more hydro and wind projects for Karachi. also windy beaches of Karachi are good for wind power generation.

DUBAI/KARACHI: United Arab Emirates firm Emaar Properties said it has secured real estate development projects worth a total of $20.4 billion in Pakistan including a 75-acre residential and commercial project called Crescent Bay in Defense Housing Authority’s Phase VIII.

Emaar, the UAE’s largest listed company, said it has signed an $18 billion deal with the Port Qasim Authority in Karachi and announced three smaller projects, of which two will be in Islamabad and a third will also be in Karachi.

The projects will include a series of master planned communities that will set new benchmarks in commercial, residential and retail property within Pakistan. Karachi will be home to Crescent Bay, a 75-acre development featuring high- and mid-rise towers for residential and commercial use, a shopping centre and five-star beachfront hotel. The towers will contain approximately 4,000 residential apartments. Crescent Bay, located within Karachi’s DHA Phase 8 and in close proximity to the DHA golf course, will also offer individual architectural styles for each tower within the development.

According to the company, Islamabad is home to two Emaar Pakistan projects - the Highlands and Canyon Views. With 1,500 acres between them the Islamabad communities offer 9,000 luxury single-family town homes and villas in a range of architectural styles with easy access to amenities including retail centres, community club houses, parks, lakes, schools and mosques.

The Highlands development is located within the Defense Housing Authority Islamabad (DHAI) Phase 1 extension and Canyon Views is within the DHAI Phase 2 extension, offering approximately 50 separate community districts with its own individual identity, a spectrum of architectural styles ranging from Mediterranean, Tuscan, Mughal, Arabic and Spanish. All three projects are expected to be completed in the next four to five years.

The firm is behind many of the huge projects driving a construction boom in the emirate of Dubai and is trying to replicate its success in other parts of the Arabic-speaking world and beyond.

In two separate statements Emaar said the four projects would include apartments and commercial and retail space as well as hotels and other leisure facilities. It said the deal with the Port Qasim Authority, which runs Pakistan’s biggest port, was signed in Pakistan late on Tuesday, a company statement published on the Dubai bourse web site said.

“We have projects planned for other cities in Pakistan which we will be rolling out in the near future,” Emaar Chairman Mohamed Ali Alabbar said in the statement. “This latest initiative is in line with our strategy of leveraging strong local partnerships to ... export the Emaar track record and heritage.”

Emaar has signed deals for luxury property projects in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and India. Gulf Arab companies, flush with cash from the biggest oil boom in decades, are increasingly looking to Asia to make strategic investments.

The UAE’s Emirates Telecommunications bought a 26 percent stake in Pakistan Telecommunications Co. Ltd last year in Pakistan’s biggest privatisation. Emaar shares closed up 2.02 percent at 12.65 dirhams ($3.44). app/reuters

KARACHI: The inter city bus terminal at Yousuf Goth, Baldia Town, has been completed and the city government will soon hand over its operations, management and maintenance to a private sector firm, official sources in Transport and Communication Department (TCD) told Daily Times Thursday.

The new terminal will be used only for Balochistan-bound buses.

The inter city bus terminal at Hub River Road, spread over an area of 7.5 acres, has various facilities for passengers and transporters/drivers, including a mosque, a waiting room, a post office, a bank, a ticket booking office, cargo office, workshops and toilets. The terminal, built at a cost of Rs 39.4 million, will provide parking space for 100 buses at a time.

Two more bus terminals would be constructed on Super Highway and National Highway. TCD sources said that bids had been called for the construction of the two terminals.

These bus terminals are being constructed outside the city to decrease the pressure of inter-city buses on city roads. According to a survey, more than 170 inter-city bus terminals have been established in the city, causing traffic congestion and accidents.

The Yousuf Goth bus terminal will be the first official inter-city bus terminal. Its operations would be handed over to a company with experience of running a terminal with computer-friendly workers. The selected company will have to provide medical facilities, an ambulance service and fire extinguishing services.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\01\story_1-6-2006_pg12_6

KARACHI: The Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB) has started improving the water supply and sewerage system in 18 towns with a grant of Rs 50 million from the city government.

The grant was released on the directives of the city nazim.

Work started Tuesday night for new 12- and 18-inch diameter sewerage pipelines near Jail Chowrangi. The new pipelines would improve the sewerage system around Buhadar Yar Jung school.

Meanwhile, KW&SB Managing Director Brig. Iftikhar Haider said Wednesday that steps were being taken to address the problems of residential colonies of KW&SB employees. He said this during a visit to the KW&SB employees colonies at Dhabeji, Gharo Filter Plant, Pipri Filter Plant, North East Karachi and Old Filter Plant.

Committees of residents will be formed in a fortnight for each of the colonies to solve their problems. app/ppi

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\01\story_1-6-2006_pg12_10

KARACHI: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal said that Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim would be connected to the sea and the Kothari Parade platform, which used to be in the middle of the sea at the time of its construction, is now being extended and a similar platform will be constructed in the sea.

Kamal also said that for the first time in the history of the city government, development work is being done in three shifts with officials present in every shift. “This has been done keeping in view the problems of Karachi’s citizens,” said the nazim during a visit to Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim Tuesday night. “We have divided work on the development projects into three shifts. In the past, work was done only a few hours at a time. “

He said that Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim is being constructed on the pattern of the world’s most modern and beautiful parks. It is Pakistan’s largest park and is spread over 130 acres

He said that roads would not need to be dug up for the next 30 to 35 years as they will never get damaged. The utility lines under these roads have been removed and all such work will be completed in the next few months. app

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\01\story_1-6-2006_pg12_9

^ Its good to hear that construction is in full swing.

KARACHI, June 1: A high-level meeting, held here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, decided to enforce new timings for shops whereby shops would open in the morning and close at dusk with effect from June 15.

Various other steps to conserve energy to provide relief to people were also considered at the meeting.

The governor exhorted the KESC to increase its power generation capacity, and made it clear that ad hoc measures, including acquiring electricity from other sources, were meant to provide relief to people.

However, he emphasised, the KESC would have to work speedily to streamline its system on a permanent basis.

The governor had summoned the concerned authorities to the Governor’s House on Thursday in view of the widespread complaints of power failures in the city.

The meeting was attended by City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, Managing Director of Siemens, CEO of KESC and other officials.

It was decided that the order to observe the new shop timings would also be applicable to the shops located in the areas falling in the jurisdiction of the Defence Housing Authority.

The meeting decided that streetlights would be kept off in unpopulated areas for the time being.

The governor directed the officials that loadshedding in city’s congested areas should not be carried out. However, if extremely necessary, it should be done with prior information.

He praised the spirit of tolerance of Karachiites who, despite all hardships, understood the complicated situation and showed patience.

The meeting was informed that as a result of the work on projects related to power supply, the situation would improve in the next three months. In the meantime, efforts would continue for providing immediate relief to people through temporary measures.

It was pointed out that once the situation returned to normal, the normal shop timings would be restored.

The meeting was informed that during the first week of June, the electricity demand during peak hours would be 2,284 megawatts whereas the KESC was producing 1,136 megawatts out of its own resources and managing 2,084 megawatts through the supplies from Wapda and other sources. Thus, a shortfall of 200 megawatts was being faced and this would be met through ad hoc measures, besides ensuring supplies from Wapda.

During the meeting, the governor also talked to the federal Minister for Water and Power, Liaquat Ali Jatoi, who assured him of continued supplies from Wapda.

The governor had an appraisal from the concerned officials regarding power supply projects and the short- and long-term programmes thereof. He directed them to carry out all these projects at an accelerated pace.—APP


http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/02/local2.htm

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/02/SlideShow/pic11.jpg

KARACHI - June 01, 2006: Construction of a pedestrian bridge on Korangi Road near Akhtar Colony is under way.—APP

KARACHI: A South Korean company has offered help to the administration of Orangi Town with its water supply and sewerage networks.

According to a statement, a representative of J&B Global System, Eun Woo Lee, called on Nazim, Abdul Haq Thursday. The nazim told the delegate about the existing water supply and sewerage networks of the town. Lee said that his company’s aim was to provide financial and technical support to different countries for various projects. APP

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\02\story_2-6-2006_pg12_4

KARACHI: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal will lay the foundation of 33-inch dia water pipeline project for supplying 60 MGD drinking water to Lyari, on June 2 (Friday). This project will be completed in six months period. At present Lyari is being supplied 16 MGD water and it would be supplied 60 MGD water under the K-III project. It may be mentioned that Lyari was never provided water according to its needs. This 27,000 feet long pipeline from Hasan Square to Bakra Piree is being laid at an initial cost of Rs 5.5 crore and it would exclusively supply water to Lyari after which the area’s water scarcity would be overcome to a greater extent.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=9074

The mood here is quite sour among businessmen regarding the decision to close all shops at 7pm from June 15th!

Is that all kinds of shops or just big markets?

Its understandable why all the buissnessmen are in a sour mood. Most buisness is usually done in the evenings when people get done from their offices.

Wooh! the husbands would finally be relieved!
:lol:

^ Well food related and medical related businesses would not be affected, but other then that all sort of businesses would be shut down.

Instead of closing shops at 7pm they should close shops from 12pm-4pm and open shops from 5pm till 9pm.

Thats only because of the fact that the weather is extremely hot, and no one really comes out of the house during 12pm-4pm unless its necessary.

I mean I wouldnt mind it, because Karachi for once would have a deserted look, which would mean easy travel even to far places like Sea View, but then again think of the amount of money the businessmen will loose?

KARACHI, June 3: The KBCA’s Technical Committee for Dangerous Buildings inspected various old and dilapidated buildings and declared 161 of them as dangerous.

According to the committee’s report, around 132 of such buildings are situated in Saddar Town followed by 13 in Jamshed Town, 11 in Lyari Town, five in Keamari Town and one in Shah Faisal Town.

The KBCA has warned the owners and residents of such buildings that they can meet any unfortunate mishap in monsoon rains and, therefore, the buildings should be immediately vacated.—APP

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/04/local17.htm

KARACHI, June 3: Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim said on Saturday that only the genuine investors would be allotted land in Karachi under a transparent policy in future.

“There had been gross irregularities in the past in granting land but now such things would not be allowed to happen,” he said while speaking at the lease deed signing ceremony at the Chief Minister’s House. The lease deed was signed by the Pakistan Railway, the National Logistic Cell and the Sindh government.

The chief minister said that the proposed high-rise building being built at I.I. Chundrigar Road would add to the beauty of Karachi and also play an important role in the economic development of Sindh. He said that President Musharraf wanted Sindh to be economically strong and added that the provincial government was providing every possible facility for promotion of foreign investment.—PPI

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/04/local13.htm

I wonder what purpose the building is going to serve and how it is going to look. I havent seen any renders yet.

where can i see some karachi skyline pictures here?

Is that the UBL Building?

cyrusal: You can find the Karachi pictures in the Karachi: A World Megacity (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=292585) thread.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/05/SlideShow/pic05.jpg

KARACHI - June 04, 2006: Work under way on the National Stadium flyover.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/05/SlideShow/pic08.jpg

KARACHI - June 04, 2006: The Gharibabad underpass.

KARACHI, June 4: The city government is currently spending over Rs30 billion on 552 development projects which include construction of 12 flyovers and interchanges, 80 roads, five underpasses, rehabilitation of infrastructure in four industrial areas and other major schemes relating to water, sewerage, solid-waste management and storm-water drainage system, well-placed sources told Dawn.

Another Rs7.5billion was being incurred on 290 different uplift schemes under the Annual Development Programme.

In addition, a Malaysian firm with which the city government of Karachi has singed an accord for constructing the city’s first elevated expressway from Jinnah bridge to Quaidabad on BOT basis at an estimated cost of over Rs24 billion, is nowadays giving final touches to the project’s study and work on this gigantic project is scheduled to begin in the first week of August.

Giving details of the mega projects currently underway in the city, the sources in the city government said though citizens might be facing difficulties in the wake of such a large number of development projects being carried out simultaneously, they would soon heave a sigh of relief upon their completion as most of the projects are expected to be completed in a short span of four to six months.

A senior official of the city government maintained that signal-free corridor from SITE to the airport, which would pass through Ibne Sina Road, Sir Shah Suleman Road, Stadium Road and Ibrahim Rahimtoola Road and Sharea Faisal, having four flyovers and three underpasses would be completed in the shortest possible time.

With the completion of this signal-free corridor in a record period of four months, motorists taking this route to and from the airport and SITE industrial area will not only save considerable time and fuel, but traffic congestion would also be minimised.

Asked about the logic behind initiating all the seven components of the signal-free corridor (four flyovers and three underpasses) in one go, the official said that whosoever criticise the city government for carrying out all these projects simultaneously should know that since all the seven components were part of the same project work on all of them have to be executed and accomplished simultaneously.

Suppose if we take these seven components of the project one by one, the motorists might get relief at one of the seven sites of the project whose work is completed but they will face similar problem at another site of the project because all these seven components of the project fall on the same route, he explained.

Moreover, if all these seven components of the signal-free corridor project were undertaken separately, the entire corridor would take at least three years to complete whereas the city government was striving hard to complete the project in four months, he added.

ROADS: The city government had also undertaken reconstruction, repair and carpeting of about 80 roads at a cost of Rs8.5 billion, sources said.

The roads are: Super Highway to Jinnah Terminal via Malir, Madinatul Hikmat to Super Highway, Clifton’s Scheme-5 (from Marine Drive to KPT), service road (from Bilawal House Chowrangi to Clifton’s Bilal Chowrangi), Shahrah-i-Attar

service and other roads of Clifton’s blocks 4 and 5, Manghopir Road (from Banaras to Pirabad), University Road (from Quaid’s mausoleum to Hassan Square), Lea Market Road (from Sheedi Village Road to Altaf Chowk), Keamari Town’s Road (Raees Goth, Hub Naddi to Maulana Mauladad Goth), M.A. Jinnah Road (from Marriot Road to Napier Road), Rashid Minhas Road (from Gulshan Chowrangi to Sohrab Goth), Mauripur Road (from Gulbai Railway crossing to PAF Masroor Base), Malir’s Kala Board to Saudabad Road, Allama Rasheed Turabi Road, Beach Park to Manzoor Colony’s Fire Station Road, Bantwa Nagar Road (from Sindhi Hotel to Bandhani Colony), New Karachi Road, all the surrounding roads of the city government’s secretariat, six internal roads of New Karachi, internal roads of North Karachi’s KBR Society, major and internal roads of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Korangi 16000 Road, 10 roads of Surjani Town, Korangi’s 8000 Road (from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Dawood Chowrangi), roads in Buffer Zone, Gadap Road (from Thaddo dam to Razi Gondar Goth), Abu Zehbi to Kathore Hashim Goth Road, Mehmoodabad Road, 5000 Road (from Surjani to Nagan Chowrangi), Garden Road (from Manghopir’s Kandawala Building to Baraboard), Baraboard to University Road via Sindhi Hotel; widening and construction of road (from Ibrahim Haidery to Korangi Fish Harbour, Phase-II), Police Training Centre 13-D Road, Korangi’s 12000 Road (from Korangi crossing to Dawood Chowrangi), Nagan Chowrangi to 7000 Road (Godhra) and carpeting of North Karachi Town’s roads, Rashid Minhas Road (from Askari petrol pump to NIPA), Shahrah-i-Orangi (from Caltex petrol pump, Torri Bangash Road, Amrohovi Colony), Business Recorder Road (from Gurumandir to Nazimabad Chowrangi), Siddiq Wajab Road (from Mirza Adam Khan Road to G. Allana Road), a link road from Madina Road to Quaid’s mausoleum, Shahrah-i-Jehangir (from Five-Star traffic intersection to Landikotal Chowk), Metroville Site Road (from Frontier More to Shell pump), Baldia Town’s 5-B Road, Lyari’s Mirza Adam Khan Road (from Jameela street to Faqeer Mohammad Durra Khan Road), North Karachi’s roads 2000, 3000 and 4000, Lyari’s Tannery Road, Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai Road, Orangi’s road (from Boi Khan Hospital to Urdu Chowk), 6000, 13000, 15000 and 8000 roads of Landhi’s Sharafi Goth and Awan-i-Tijarat Road to I.I. Chundrigar Road.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/05/local1.htm

KARACHI, June 4: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on Sunday said special emphasis would be laid on protection to citizens’ life and property while making new policy for billboards in the metropolis.

He said that no advertisement board would be installed along Sharea Faisal, as it had been declared hoarding-free zone under the governor’s directive.

Speaking at a briefing given to him on billboards at Civic Centre, Mustafa Kamal said the city government had already started removing hoardings from Sharea Faisal and remaining boards would be completely removed after June.

He called for realistic change in fee structure of billboards and consultation with all stakeholders before recommending amendments in rules for installing hoardings. He said once the rules were made they would be strictly implemented and violators would be awarded punishment, including imprisonment and fine.

The nazim said hoardings were a major source of revenue for the city government, but public life and property and city’s beauty were more important and there could be no compromise on it.

He stressed the need for making such a policy for billboards which gives more importance to citizens’ life and property and their peace of mind than anything else.

He emphasised that hoardings to be installed in future should contribute in the city government’s revenue as well as add beauty to the metropolis.Mr Kamal also issued directives for immediate payment of compensation of Rs150,000 to heirs of a labourer died while removing billboards last month.

EDO (Revenue) Saleh Faruqi and DO (Local Tax) Hasan Naqvi briefing on the occasion said that over 1,800 irregular billboards had been removed during the ongoing drive.

They informed the meeting that it had been suggested in the new proposed policy that installation of a maximum of 1,500 hoardings be allowed on the city government’s lands and 600 on private lands.

It was further informed that more than 180 companies interested in doing the business had submitted applications for registration. These applications were being scrutinised and only those firms would be registered after scrutiny that had experience in manufacturing strong, beautiful and quality billboards.

Under the new policy, it was stated that advertisement boards would have particular size and fee would be set keeping in view value of the respective area. Besides, the record of all hoardings would be computerised. Every board will be marked with the allotted number along with the respective company’s name.

STRAY DOGS: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal on Sunday directed the town administrations of all 18 towns to launch a campaign against stray dogs from Monday.

Taking serious notice of some reports regarding stray-dog biting in different areas of the city, Mustafa Kamal decided to launch the campaign and directed the Executive District Officer Health to facilitate the town administrations during the drive.

He said that the city government had obtained the poison at the cost of one million rupees for elimination of stray dogs. Some 40,000 special capsules had already been prepared in this regard, he said.—PPI/APP


http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/05/local9.htm

KARACHI, June 4: Work on laying a 7,000 foot-long water pipeline under the sea to provide potable water to residents of Shams Pir island in UC-4 of Keamari Town started on Sunday.

Keamari Town Nazim Humayun Khan inaugurated Rs1.4 million project under which a pipeline would be laid from Younusabad to Shams Pir island. The project will provide 60,000 gallons daily water to area. For the first time in the country’s history, P-pipes that are capable to bear pressure of water undersea is being used in this project.

Speaking on the occasion, Town Nazim Humayun Khan said the scheduled time of the project completion was two months but with the efforts of local people it would be completed in a week.

Town Naib Nazim Amir Hamza, UC-4 Nazim Muhammad Hanif and others were also present.—PPI

KARACHI, June 4: Work on laying a 7,000 foot-long water pipeline under the sea to provide potable water to residents of Shams Pir island in UC-4 of Keamari Town started on Sunday.

Keamari Town Nazim Humayun Khan inaugurated Rs1.4 million project under which a pipeline would be laid from Younusabad to Shams Pir island. The project will provide 60,000 gallons daily water to area. For the first time in the country’s history, P-pipes that are capable to bear pressure of water undersea is being used in this project.

Speaking on the occasion, Town Nazim Humayun Khan said the scheduled time of the project completion was two months but with the efforts of local people it would be completed in a week.

Town Naib Nazim Amir Hamza, UC-4 Nazim Muhammad Hanif and others were also present.—PPI

lets hope it gets complete on time inshaAllah

KARACHI: The tallest building to be constructed in Pakistan, Sign Tower Information Technology has been approved for construction and its foundation stone will be laid by the end of June.

The 40-storey building will be constructed in the centre of the metropolis through a joint venture of CDGK and IJM Corporation of Malaysia and Astra Net COM. The decision was taken during a briefing to the city Nazim on Monday, which continued for more than four hours, where all the pros and cons were discussed in length. A call centre will also be constructed which would have a capacity of 10,000 seats. The building will have a capacity car parking area to accommodate 2,500 cars and an auditorium for 1,000 persons.

For trade purposes, there would be a shopping centre, food centre and a hotel consisting of 50 rooms. Astar Net will sign an agreement on June 22 and by the end of June, the construction of the building will commence.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=9652

KARACHI: Various technical aspects of the elevated expressway from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad, a $225 million project, were discussed with the Malaysian delegation that arrived here and met City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on Monday.

Various surveys for the elevated expressway have already been completed and now after the approval of drawings by the city government, the structural designing will be initiated. The IJM Corporation delegation expressed their satisfaction over the cooperation extended by the CDGK officials. The project includes construction of 24-kilometre long and 25-metre wide expressway having three lanes on each side and will be constructed in three years time.

Six interchanges would be provided on the 24 kilometer long expressway at Quaidabad intersection, Star Gate, HIR Road Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Hotel Metropole and Jinnah Bridge (Native Jetty).

The feasibility study of the project is near completion as various phases of the project have been completed or under process. The second phase of the project includes engineering, procurement, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer of the project.

The CDGK will hand over to the IJM Corporation, physical possession of the site within sixty days for the implementation of the Phase-I. The IJM Corporation has completed topographical survey of the project. The Malaysian delegation will also meet the EDO Mashkoor Pathan.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=9645

KARACHI, June 5: Smoke-free CNG rickshaw taxi has been introduced in Karachi on eve of June 5 World Environment Day. City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal handed over keys of the rickshaw taxi, manufactured with new technology, to the buyers at a ceremony held at Bahria Auditorium on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Mustafa Kamal said the new technology would bring revolution in transport system in the city, adding it would not affect people belonging to old public transport nor render them jobless.

He said people who were already engaged in transport business would be given more opportunity and in this regard, banks would be contacted and asked to give them facility so that they replaced old technology with new one.

He said for the first time private sector had launched CNG rickshaw taxi which was cheaper as well as environment-friendly and more comfortable for passengers.

The city nazim hoped that it would bring a major change in the transport system in the metropolis and transport business would become a white-collar job.

Sign Tower building: The City District Government Karachi has given approval to the construction of Sign Tower IT building, Pakistan's tallest building, in Karachi.

The building will be constructed in the middle of the city as a joint venture of City Government, I.J.M. of Malaysia and internationally reputed Astra Net Com.

A decision in this regard was taken at a briefing given to City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal here on Monday.

The building will have a 10,000 seats modern call centre while 25 per cent of the electricity used will be obtained through solar system.

The Sign Tower will have a parking capacity for 2500 cars, an auditorium for 800 persons and four mini cinema houses, each having a capacity for 200 spectators.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/06/local14.htm

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/06/SlideShow/pic09.jpg

KARACHI - June 05, 2006: Construction workers busy in renovation and restructuring work at Wazir Mansion, the birthplace of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, on Monday.

KARACHI: A water filtration plant donated and installed by a Swiss company in a Karachi locality, which is capable of providing 7000 gallons of water a day to any specific location, has caught the imagination of the city father.

Its trial run in Gulshan-e-Iqbal has persuaded city Nazim Mustafa Kamal that it can give Karachi citizens, accustomed as they are to consuming impure water, some respite. Plans have already been chalked out of installing 600 such plants in the city at union council level.

The project was piloted recently by the Swiss firm at the Civic View apartment blocks in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The company claims the filter plants are so designed they can provide crystal-clear water anywhere free of bacterial diseases.

Ms Lin Armstrong Sharwood, vice-president of Mobile Cube Corporation, of Canada and Switzerland, told this correspondent that the plant physically filters and removes bacteria, viruses, cysts and particles, leaving behind healthy, natural salts and minerals as well as fluoride supplements.

Lin said no harmful chemicals are added in the plant while daily self-cleaning cycle does not require electricity. This is a maintenance-free plant with a life of 20 years. Ultra filtration is needed to be changed in three to five years and carbon once a year, she explained.

A built-in pump sucks out municipal water from the underground main which then goes to the plant for filtration. Lin said the process has three stages. The unit, called mobile cube central water filtration system, is installed on the main incoming water line, usually in the basement before the water heater in buildings and homes.

In the second stage, she said, the granular-activated carbon filter removes chlorine and other unpleasant tastes and odours. In the third phase, water travels through thousands of hollow fibre ultra-filtration membrane fibres, Lin said. The existing water pressure forces water to the hollow centre of the membrane through billions of microscopic pores that form a barrier to impurities.

She said particles and pathogens such as parasites, bacteria and viruses are physically removed from the water, while natural minerals and salts remain. She said finally clear, pure-tasting, filtered water is distributed to every tap in the home or building.

When asked how her company would cope with the resistance which might be put up by bottled water suppliers to the plan, she pointed out that the city government is supplying water to citizens free of charge.

In a lighter vein she said the KW&SB staff had told her to take back the donated plant in the event her company doesn’t qualify in the bidding process. To this she told them that the company is doing service to people, and will do no such thing.

Lin said what she wanted is that corporate companies should sponsor such plants as at present they are expensive at US$25,000. The cost covers the entire plant except the room and space provided by the government. She said the price could come down if the order placed is in bulk.

The company vice-president said last Friday she had given a demonstration of a plant of clean water powered by solar and wind energy. This was much appreciated by the chief minister of Sindh, she added.

She said now she is donating the plant to the Sindh government for a village where they have neither fresh water nor electricity. This plant, through solar energy, would supply pure drinking water from the polluted and brackish water.

She said this is an effective cleaning method applied on all types of water — of fountains, boreholes, lakes, rivers, lagoons and the ocean seas. She said this plant has the capability to produce within one hour 20,000 litres per day of drinking water from the polluted water, and 3000 litres per day of drinking water from the brackish water.

She first came to Pakistan to donate a solar- and wind-powered water purification plant for the earthquake-stricken city of Muzaffarabad in December. The visit was facilitated by Air Marshal (retd) Shahid Hamid, chairman of Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), while the KASB Foundation paid for the installation and transport of the cube to Pakistan from Switzerland.

She said “we trained two AEDB personnel for free for 10 days in Switzerland and will continue to train people as we deploy more cubes to Pakistan and look for partners and funding to set up assembly unit here”.

“We donated another cube, a desalination model, to Balochistan, which is how I came back to Pakistan in April,” she said. “I was advised by prominent Pakistan businessman S.M. Muneer, in my hometown of Toronto, to speak to Karachi Nazim Mustafa Kamal about my water technologies and desire to help the Pakistan people. The AEDB arranged an introduction and when I met him, he (Nazim) immediately inquired, ‘when can you get started?’”, she recalled.

She said the Nazim is definitely a man of action, like the Air Marshall. She said her meeting with the Nazim was the beginning of the Community Water Station at the Civic View Apartments, though not yet completed, but is set to be up and running by the end of this week. The SIS Engineering Associates, on the urging of one of the partners, Samir Dossal, whom I also met in Toronto with S.M. Muneer, courtesy the Canada Pakistan Business Council, have donated the building for the water station that will serve more than 2,000 people with 10 to 20 litres of clean drinking water purified from the municipal supply.

The Managing Director of the Karachi Water Board, Brigadier Iftikhar Haider, made an inspection of our site on Friday, and with his recommendations to meet the city’s specifications, they will maintain the station and people will soon be receiving water free of charge.

What most people donít understand is that Karachi is not the only urban area that is facing a water crisis. The entire world is, because plumbing infrastructures everywhere are old and more water is becoming polluted through continued careless actions and ignorance of proper water conservation, she remarked.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=9638

What does this new Rickshaw look like?

Limitless all set to build new Karachi
BY MUZAFFAR RIZVI

6 June 2006



DUBAI — Dubai World has revealed that its integrated international real estate developer company — Limitless — will spearhead the multi-billion dollar Karachi Waterfront development project comprising residential, commercial, recreational and entertainment facilities.


Sources told Khaleej Times yesterday that the mega project will develop 25,000 hectare of prime waterfront property in southern port city of Karachi.

"Phase-1 of the project in commercial hub of Pakistan will involve an investment of $20 billion over the next ten years. It will develop more than 2,000 hectare of prime waterfront property in the city," the sources said adding that subsequent phases of the project are expected to involve much larger investments.

They further said that several other projects are also in the pipeline in Dubai and elsewhere, and will be announced shortly.

The announcement for Karachi Waterfront project was made during the recent visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to Pakistan. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed by Pakistani Minister of State for Privatisation and Investment, Umar Ahmed Ghuman and Dubai World Chairman Sultan bin Sulayem in Islamabad.

Revealing the details of the project, Chairman Dubai World Sultan bin Sulayem said: "We are delighted to lead the development of the Karachi Waterfront project. This is a major project, involving phased development of the 25,000 hectare site in the port city of Pakistan."

"It will be a new Karachi," Bin Sulayem maintained.

"Limitless' focus on creating balanced developments for large urban communities will, we believe, ensure that the development meets the economic and social needs of the government and the people of Pakistan," he added.

The CEO of Limitless, Saeed Ahmed Saeed, said the master plan of the project is being finalised and it could cater the needs of people.

"At present, the exact elements of the master plan are being finalised considering the overall needs of the people and the best approach to develop a self-sustaining community," Saeed added.

"The business of creating balanced developments is a challenging one. It is a relatively new science, which requires a great deal of research, flexibility and a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure that the balance sought is not only achievable but sustainable," Saeed observed.

"In the coming months we hope to be able to reveal more details on other projects — but only when we are confident that we have found the best solution to address the needs of each community," Saeed added.

Karachi Waterfront will evolve as Limitless prepares the master plan in line with local and government needs. According to an official, the project will contain a defined and carefully weighted balance of residential, commercial, recreational and entertainment facilities.

"The new city will also be home to Special Economic Zones, creating a hub for trading, manufacturing and services industry. All components of the development will be supported by a world-class infrastructure and amenities," the official said.

The waterfront development project is part of the Government of Pakistan's initiative to attract investment and visitors to Pakistan. It is the first international mega project announced by Limitless since the company was officially launched in April, 2006.

Limitless can lay claim to three specific areas of expertise that provide the company with a competitive advantage internationally — master planning large urban communities, waterfront development and the implementation of large balanced projects. Initial equity capital for Limitless is provided by Dubai World, but the company plans to tap the debt markets and look at strategic investors to finance its early growth and new projects.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2006/June/business_June153.xml&section=business

What does this new Rickshaw look like?

I think its similar in shape to the old one, except that its of green colour and bears the "CNG" logo on the front.

i dnt get it, is this waterfront project being made by emaar or dubai world, also wat is limitless, i thought dubai worlds real estate company is called nakheel

i dnt get it, is this waterfront project being made by emaar or dubai world, also wat is limitless, i thought dubai worlds real estate company is called nakheel

LIMITLESS is a company made by Dubai World for outsourcing....

Dubai World takes real estate expertise global with the launch of Limitless - the region's first integrated property developer
Limitless L.L.C., an integrated real estate development company launched today, intends to become one of the world's leading developers.

http://www.ameinfo.com/83385.html

wow! lots of nice news. Hopefully we should see some concrete development soon as well.

It seems like the two largest property developers of Dubai, Emaar and Nakheel (in the form of Limitless) are coming to Pakistan. Their plans for developments along Karachi's waterfront would give Karachi its first world class locality. DHA, by comparison, is a poorly designed 'desi' style development devoid of any landscaping, no water, and shabby commercial areas. It is an embarrassment to tell an outsider that this is Karachi's best area.

The most likely area for the Limitless 25,000 hectare development would be the islands on the east of Karachi along the mangrove swamps. This is likely to send the tree-hugging idle begums of DHA into a frenzy of opposition. This is something we may have to deal with.

Once underway, many of the present DHA crowd will move to these new Dubai style areas along with the overseas Pakistanis who will move back. The Gulshan crowd will move to the existing DHA and to the new DHA II on super highway.

However these developments won't do anything for the rest of Karachi. These new developments will be out of the reach of the vast majority of the population. What are needed are large scale developments of low to medium cost housing for the rest of the people.

Shanghai, for sure, is the example of what Karachi may have been like and it can still be. I visited Shanghai last year and it is unbelievable what I saw. There are skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, reportedly twice as many as in New York, 4000 vs. 2000. What is even more astonishing is to find out that in 1990 none of these existed. In 1990 the tallest building in Shanghai was less than 20 stories high and was built in 1923. Karachi at that time would have been considered more advanced than Shanghai.

Now Shanghai is a world class city. It has a brand new beautiful airport and a network of international quality highways. Inside the city the highways are elevated. There is a maglev train connecting the airport to the city. There is also a mass transit system with a network of non-maglev trains that run above ground outside the city center and underground within the city.

Plus there are many shopping malls full of shoppers. But the jewels of Shanghai are the new high-rise office towers that are of world class quality.

Walking in Shanghai city center sometimes feels like you’re in Karachi as many of the old buildings are from the British era. In some places you feel like you’re in saddar but then you see a 50 storey gleaming office tower and you realize where you are.

If the Karachi nazim went to Shanghai recently then it is a good thing. This guy may be the best mayor/nazim Karachi has ever had. Lets hope that he can deliver all that he’s planning.

I have been to 7 different cities in China. Each one of them is booming and you can see new airports, highways, buildings and shopping malls in all of them. Some of these cities I had never even heard of before nor do I remember their names. This proves that development is not a zero-sum game where progress in one place deprives another. Beijing, for example, is as awesome as Shanghai. It is more similar to Lahore in that it has the Forbidden City the ancient seat of the Chinese Emperors, similar to the fort and Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

We’re potentially at a turning point and if Pakistan plays its cards right it can finally take off economically.

another good news for karachi i think the land they are going to develop will be bundle island but i might be wrong btw there was a nkheel ad in dawn the day the UAE PM came to pakistan

KARACHI, June 6: The city government on Tuesday announced setting up of three routes for entry of goods vehicles into the city to reach the Karachi Port and their timings.

Route A includes Northern Bypass leading to the Super Highway, RCD Highway, Gulbai, Site, and Maripur Road to Karachi Port Trust.

Route B includes the Hawkesbay Truck Stand to Maripur Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass, Sunset Boulevard, Main Korangi Road, Korangi Industrial Area and Landhi Industrial Area.

Route C includes the Main Link Road from the National Highway to the Super Highway.

A press release of the CDGK issued here on Tuesday said that according to the Section-144 no goods vehicle could run on Routes B and C from 8am to 10am and from 5pm to 8pm. However, the press release did not mention the timings for goods vehicles on the Route A.

The press release further said a delegation of the Goods Transport Federation called on the city nazim at his office and apprised him of their problems.

The nazim said that to allow the goods vehicles to move freely in the inner areas of the city would further aggravate the traffic problems in the city.

He said that to solve these problems, routes and timings were set up with the consent of the transporters.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/07/local18.htm

KARACHI, June 6: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, on Tuesday said the city government had initiated several big projects in the metropolis on built, operate and transfer bases.

These projects include a bus terminal on the RCD Highway, two vegetable and fruit markets on the National Highway, an IT Plaza, parking plazas and recreational facilities at Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim and Clifton Beach Park, he added.

He was talking to a delegation of the CDGK-KCCI Liaison Committee, led by renowned industrialist Zubair Motiwala.

The delegation called on the nazim at his office to draw his attention towards water shortage and other problems at Site.

Mr Kamal said the private sector was being provided with all possible facilities to induct 8,000 CNG buses during the next four years and the government would pay interest for purchasing these buses.

He asked the industrialists and businessmen to take part in the mega projects initiated by the city government under public-private partnerships.

The city nazim told the delegation that work on the first parking plaza of the country was expeditiously under way while seven other places had also been identified to build the same facility.

The private sector will construct and run the proposed plazas, he added.

He further said the city government was also paying attention to the uplift of Karachi’s industrial zones and was making efforts to solve various problems of Site area including water shortage.

He said work on construction of roads were under way and were being completed phase-wise, adding that water supply and sewerage lines were being laid under a 40-year planning.

Orangi Town: The benefits of the K-III project have so far not reached the residents of Orangi Town, who are still enduring miseries due to water shortage.

This was stated by Abdul Quddus, MQM MPA from Orangi Town, while talking to the City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, during a meeting at the latter's office on Monday.

Mr Quddus asked the city nazim to restart the Rangers tanker service to supply water to the town, which could meet the shortage to a great extent.

Upon the legislator's suggestion to expedite pace of work on the Shahrah-i-Orangi, the city nazim told him that Rs800 million had been released for the purpose and now the work was expeditiously under way.

Mr Kamal assured the MPA of resolving all problems of Orangi town.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/07/local9.htm

The most likely area for the Limitless 25,000 hectare development would be the islands on the east of Karachi along the mangrove swamps. This is likely to send the tree-hugging idle begums of DHA into a frenzy of opposition.


Karachi's mangrove swamps may not be liked by you but the fact of the matter is that these are one of the world's largest ecosystems of this sort. It is not as evident in Karachi but if you go a little towards the east by boat, you enter the large mangrove forests of the Indus delta. Karachi used to have a large area of mangrove forests of its own around the Mai Kolachee bypass area but they have been eliminated due to land reclamation. Some of the purposes these forests serve are as follows:

- clean the air and convert carbon dioxide to oxygen
- lower the temperature and make the climate more pleasant
- because of their forming a barrier close to the sea, they also protect the coast against tsunamis, cyclone surges, etc (A VERY IMPORTANT POINT!)
- prevent erosion of the coastline
- prevent salinity of the soil near the coast
- serve as a refuge for wildlife and migratory birds.

Pakistanis have largely been unsympathetic towards their environment which has resulted in the fact that most of our forest cover is now gone. A country needs about 25% of forest cover for a good economy, and ours accounts to maybe 2-3%.

The mangrove forests around Bundle Island have mostly been depleted already. But if any are left around Karachi, any development that is done should ideally be done in such a way that they incorporate the mangrove forests in their landscaping and set up protected zones of forest covers which can be used as recreational areas.

Killing more forests should not be our prerequisite for development.

swerveut, you're right. We should protect the mangroves.

That leads to the question: where is the 25,000 hectares (62,000 acres) that Nakheel is going to build on? Bundle is only 8000 acres. If they don't go into the mangroves then they'll have to reclaim land along the fringes of the forest. On Google Earth you can see a string of islands past Bundle; maybe they'll use those. Then they'll have to build a causeway like in the Florida Keys to connect them.

That'll be quite expensive. However, because the price of land in Karachi is more than in many places in the US it may still be feasible. I saw a feasibility for Bundle Island in which if you spend $1 billion to develop it you can sell it for $2 billion based on DHA prices and make a 100% return. However only large companies have the financial capacity to do that. That is what these UAE companies have.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/4713/khifly5ki.jpg

KARACHI: Underpasses of signal-free corridor under threat: Monsoon from 15th



By Azizullah Sharif

KARACHI, June 7: All the three underpasses being constructed as major components of the signal-free corridor (from Site to airport) are under serious threat of land-sliding in case their side walls are not built before the forthcoming monsoon season which, according to Met office, will start from June 15.

Employees of the contractors associated with the project apprehend that all the three underpasses would face land sliding and almost the entire steel-bending works carried out so far would suffer extensive damage if the monsoon season sets in earlier than its scheduled date of June 15.

Admitting that an incident of land sliding has already occurred at the site of one of the three underpasses recently owing to jerks caused by heavy vehicles moving all along the under-construction underpasses on the diversionary route, the sources said that some engineers and labourers who were working on the project’s site were, however, escaped miraculously.

“Though work on constructing thick concrete wall, measuring around 2.5-foot-wide, all along the underpasses should have been initiated much early to complete it before the monsoon season, the contractors’ men could not do so as the gigantic work pertaining to shifting of cables and lines of different utility services consumed more than the anticipated time,” the sources added.

In all, three underpasses are being built near Nazimabad Flyover, Liaquatabad No 10 and Gharibabad as major components of signal-free corridor to ensure unhindered flow of vehicular traffic from SITE industrial area to Jinnah International Airport as well as to save time and fuel of motorists.

All the under-construction underpasses are 12.5-metre-wide and on an average 9-metre-deep but their length differs from each other as the Gharibabad Underpass is 600-metre-long, Liaquatabad Underpass 560-metre-long while Nazimabad’s Underpass has around 700 metres length.

When the contractor of both Liaquatabad and Nazimabad underpasses, Mr Akbar, was asked that how much time it would take to complete the underpasses’ wall work, he said that the wall and roof construction work of both the underpasses was being carried out, simultaneously. He said that the entire wall construction work and more than 80 per cent roof laying work of Liaquatabad Underpass would be completed by June 30 while the entire roof and wall construction of Gharibabad Underpass would be accomplished by the end of July.

Asked what damages land sliding incidents could cause to the underpass work undertaken so far, he said that if the city got rains for a day it would not cause any damage but if heavy downpour continued for three to five days, the entire steel-bending work would have to be carried out afresh.

He said that the most-modern pumps, each having a capacity to drain out 1,200 gallons of water per minute, had already been deployed at the projects’ site and in case of rainwater accumulates at the underpasses sites, they would be used for draining out rainwater.

FLYOVERS: Work on four other components of the signal-free corridor (flyovers and interchanges) is in full swing and if the present pace of is maintained, all these projects will be completed much before the Ideas-2006 (International Defence Exhibition and seminars) scheduled for November.

These projects include construction of flyovers and interchanges at Hassan Square, National Stadium-Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi Road intersection, Ibrahim Rahmatulla-Sharea Faisal intersection and PAF Shah Faisal Base traffic intersection.


source: http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/08/local1.htm

swerveut, you're right. We should protect the mangroves.

That leads to the question: where is the 25,000 hectares (62,000 acres) that Nakheel is going to build on? Bundle is only 8000 acres. If they don't go into the mangroves then they'll have to reclaim land along the fringes of the forest. On Google Earth you can see a string of islands past Bundle; maybe they'll use those. Then they'll have to build a causeway like in the Florida Keys to connect them.

That'll be quite expensive. However, because the price of land in Karachi is more than in many places in the US it may still be feasible. I saw a feasibility for Bundle Island in which if you spend $1 billion to develop it you can sell it for $2 billion based on DHA prices and make a 100% return. However only large companies have the financial capacity to do that. That is what these UAE companies have.


Like I said, since a lot of the mangroves around Bundle Island have been depleted already, its a good candidate for development. But any development there should make sure that it gives provision for the preservation of the mangroves that are left around there and ensure the fact that they are not damaged. Also, all other mangrove areas around it should be declared protected wildlife sanctuaries and ecotourism in the area should be developed to inculcate a culture of preservation of the environment.

MIRPURKHAS: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that strengthening of the economy and completion of development projects was bringing fruitful results for the common man.

He said this while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Marvi passenger train here on Wednesday. Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Senator Abdul Ghaffar also addressed the inauguration ceremony, which converted into a public meeting with thousands of workers of Pakistan Muslim League in attendance.

The chief minister said that under the dynamic leadership of President Pervez Musharraf, the country’s economy has been strengthened and the national exchequer is being utilised for the welfare of the masses.

He said mega development projects are being completed and the people would now get all basic facilities at their nearest after completion of these projects. In the past, the national exchequer was being usurped and deposited in the Swiss banks, he added.

The chief minister thanked Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed for launching the new train from Mirpurkhas for the people of the Thar desert area. “The launching will also help in improving the socio-economic condition of the area,” he added.

Arbab refuted the propaganda of some elements that after opening of the Khokhrapar border, the people from the neighbouring country will settle in Sindh. The government is maintaining a proper record of the visitors and there is no truth in this propaganda, he said.

It was due to the efforts of President Musharraf that opening of Khokhrapar route became possible as earlier, no one had tried to make effort in this direction. After opening of border, the people of Sindh are getting train facility at cheap rates, he added.

The government is committed to inter-link all villages of the province with roads, he said.

He said the government is also introducing latest inter-city railway service in Karachi in order to provide better communication facility to the citizens.

The chief minister assured that railway overhead bridge would be constructed from the joint development fund of the Sindh government, Pakistan Railways and development grant of Senator Abdul Ghaffar.

Arbab said Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid has promised to lay a broad gauge railway line between Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah. If the Marvi passenger train earned profit, another train will also be started at the same route, he said.

Rashid said the government has fulfilled another commitment of providing the railway facility to the people of Tharparkar. He said the Pakistan Railways is making all-out efforts to provide the rail facility to the people at cheap rate.

He said from June 11, the railway fare has been reduced in order to facilitate the poor people of the country.


http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=9890

gr8 news

KARACHI, June 8: Amid persisting power crisis in the city, the Sindh government has decided to implement the early business closure order with immediate effect, instead of June 15 as announced earlier this month.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had presided over a high-level meeting on June 1 to discuss the crisis, that persists ever since the advent of current summer, and the ways and means to overcome the same.

The convening of the meeting was prompted by the May 30 power breakdown which kept most parts of the city without electricity for up to 19 hours. It was decided at the meeting that austerity measures be taken to conserve electricity amid the mounting requirement and the shortcomings in ensuring a smooth supply to all consumers.

As part of the strategy proposed at the meeting, it was decided that all shopping and commercial centres, non-essential outlets and establishments be asked to close business by dusk from June 15 till the situation improves.

However, a notification in this regard was issued on Thursday with the clause stating that it had come into effect ‘immediately’, making it clear that the concerns not exempted in the notification would have to close their business by 8pm from June 9, and not June 15.

The notification contains a long list of the commercial and non-commercial concerns exempted from the closure, giving to understand that a large number of commercial and industrial concerns, as well as the public sector consumers, would remain unaffected by the order.

According to the KESC spokesman, Sultan Hasan Khan, the enforcement of this measure would not help end loadshedding.

He estimated that the quantum of electricity conserved through the early closure of business at around 75 megawatts as against the actual shortfall during the peak hours of 200 megawatts.

He said that this shortfall could be managed only when the KESC consumers, over two million in number, kept off at least one bulb of 100 watts in regular use and followed the practice religiously until the crisis was over.

The notification, issued by the provincial Labour Transport and Industries Secretary, Nasar Hayat, has been issued under the West Pakistan Shops and Establishments Ordinance, 1969 and covers the local limits of Karachi, including the Defence Housing Authority areas.

Following is the list of the establishments, concerns and individuals exempted from the early closure: Offices of/under the federal and provincial governments; offices of/under Pakistan Railway Board, including Railway stations; office of/under any local authority, a trust, a corporation, or any other public statutory body not being run for profit/ gain or in the cause of its business does not make any profit/gain; shops or stalls at any public exhibition or show; shops or stalls at any public fair or bazaar held for religious or charitable purposes; clubs, hostels, and messes not maintained for profit/gain; establishments for the treatment or care of the sick, infirm, destitute or mentally unfit persons; stalls and refreshment rooms at railway stations, steamers and launch stations, docks, wharfs and airports, and on trains, steamer or aircraft; any person employed exclusively in connection with collection, dispatch, delivery and conveyance of, or custom agent canvasser, messenger, watchmen, caretaker or conservancy staff, or any person employed exclusively in connection with collection, dispatch, delivery and conveyance of, or custom formalities on goods, any shop or commercial establishments.

Besides, nothing in the clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 6 and in section (7) shall apply on clubs, hostels, and messes maintained for profit/gain, shops dealing solely in any vegetables, meat, fish and dairy products; bread, pastries, sweet meat and flowers, medicines, surgical appliances, bandages or any other medical requisition, articles required for funerals, burials or ceremonies; tobacco, cigars, cigarette, biri, pan, liquid, newspapers or periodicals, automobile service stations and petrol pumps (for retail sale of patrol), cinemas, theatres and other places of public entertainment.

The secretary labour has warned that violators of the order would be dealt with strictly under the law.


http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/09/local1.htm

KARACHI, June 8: To improve supply of vegetables and fruits, Karachi would have four new vegetable markets. The provincial government and the city government would set up two each of the new Sabzi Mandis.

This was decided in a high-level held at the Governor's House, with Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, in the chair.

The meeting reviewed matters pertaining to price control, setting up of Bachat Bazaars by the government at UC level and a dairy village over 800 acres, besides other measures to provide food items to citizens on cheaper rates.

The governor asked the agriculture department and the city government to set up two Sabzi Mandis each so that monopoly of agents and middlemen over this trade should be could be brought to an end and masses could be provided relief.

It was decided that the Consumer Rights Council would be reactivated to raise awareness about the consumers' rights. It was also decided that the provincial and the city governments would set up a joint website to receive complaints and suggestions of consumers and make laws according to them. It was suggested that consumer complaint centres should be set up on town and UC basis.

Dr Ibad asked that a dairy village be set up near Thatta over 800 cares, in which all basic infrastructure and utility facilities should be provided by the government.

He said that this project would help in provision of milk and meat to masses on cheaper rates. He said a modern slaughterhouse and other related facilities should also be provided to the proposed dairy village so that Pakistan could also become a major milk producing country.He said that concept of Bachat Bazaars should be introduced on a wider scope so as to provide citizens with all commodities at one place. He also stressed on introducing the concept of social mobilization.

Sindh Local Government Secretary Ishaque Lashari briefed the meeting on a scheme to control price hike and provide cheap daily-use items to citizens.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/09/local4.htm

KARACHI: The steering committee of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has finally given a green signal to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) to start work on

I I Chundrigar Road as the work on M T Khan Road will be completed by August 31.

Official sources told The News that the only condition was that once the MT Khan road was

completed work should be started on I I Chundrigar Road. “From

tomorrow the city government will start repair and patch work on

I I Chundrigar Road,” the sources added.

According to the sources, the steering committee headed by Shaukat Tareen had sent a letter to the city government that beautification work on I I Chundrigar Road should not be started till the M T Kahn Road project was completed.

It may be mentioned here that the M T Khan Road project was scheduled to be completed by April 19, 2006, however, the previous contract has been cancelled and the job has now been awarded to the FWO.

Though belated, Shaukat Tareen realized that the numerous excavated patches on the I I Chundrigar Road were causing immense problems to the people, particularly office-goers, besides posing serious health hazards owing to spread of dust almost on the entire road.

Shaukat has directed for carpeting the patches on the left side of the excavated road in order to minimize the sufferings of the people. Besides, commuters had been facing serious problems due to the closure of public transport on this important road of the country’s commercial capital.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=10101

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi will provide modern equipment to its Fire Brigade and Civil Defence department and form a volunteer force at the union council level to cope with any eventuality.

CDGK Fire Brigade and Civil Defence Committee chairman Ahsan Ahmed Siddiqui stated this while talking to Pakistan-America Liaison Centre, Houston (USA) Director Maryam Essa who called on him at his office Thursday. The department will be provided helicopters, snorkels, fire tenders. ppi

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\09\story_9-6-2006_pg12_8

DHA to have modern network of roads
By our correspondent

KARACHI: A well-planned modern network of roads, designed as per the contemporary engineering standards, is being built in Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

This was stated by the Administrator DHA, Brig Maqsood Hussain, while speaking at a ceremony held to sign a contract between DHA and National Logistic Cell (NLC) for the construction of a network of 103km long major arterial road in DHA Phase-VIII at a cost of Rs2.6 billion. The ceremony was held at the DHA’s main office here on Friday.

The administrator reiterated that DHA Phase-VIII comprising 41,551 acres of land was designed on most modern town planning principles. He said that Phase-VIII of Defence comprised more than 45 per cent of the total area and would be developed on fast track as a model phase of DHA.

He said that the roads being constructed would have all design features to cater for future expansion, drainage problems and incorporate suitable footpaths and service roads with all service utilities network, including power cables underground.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=10266

Work on elevated expressway making headway
By Fasahat Mohiuddin

KARACHI: After the completion of all kinds of surveys and feasibility study, soil-testing work has been started, while piling work will be started in August or September for the 24-kilometer elevated expressway from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad.

To start this work instructions have already been given by the experts of Malaysia’s IJM Corporation who arrived here recently and met with City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal to sort out technical hurdles in the execution of work on the expressway project.

An official of IJM Corporation told The News that the structural drawings as well as whole drawing data of this project would be sent to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) for approval.

“As this is a highly technical process, now tenders would be floated for conducting soil testing of the specified area in order to determine the load bearing capacity of the soil,” he added.

“After this we would start structural designing and feasibility of the plan,” the officer said and hoped that by August piling work would be started at different spots of Sharea Faisal. The delegation also met different EDOs of the city government involved in the project so that all sorts of hurdles could be removed, he added.

He said that the CDGK has so far extended all out cooperation in this regard.

It may be mentioned that the City Nazim has already announced that foundation stone laying ceremony of the project would be held on August 8 this year.

The project involves construction of 24 kilometers long and 25 meters wide elevated expressway on Sharea Faisal, having three lanes on each side. The project costing US $ 225 million would be completed in three years time.

The city of Karachi having an estimated population of 14 million is spread over an area of 1800 square kilometers with a wide network of main roads/ arteries, sub-roads, etc. Sharea Faisal is one of the main arteries of the megapolis, carrying a heavy volume of traffic from all over the city in view of its interconnections at different points, besides being a straight route to the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=10263

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/4720/02078so.gif

KARACHI: The Sindh government has requested the secretary of the cabinet division in Islamabad to devise a way to reduce the visits of federal functionaries to the province or provide for all the facilities they require during their stay.

Well-placed sources in the Sindh government apprised Daily Times Saturday that the provincial chief secretary stated in an official communiqué that the province’s limited financial resources had come under severe pressure due to the increasing number of visits by federal ministers, ministers for state and federal secretaries, as the provincial government had to arrange for not only their boarding, lodging and travel but also for their security and protocol.

Sources said that the Sindh chief secretary also mentioned in the communiqué that the movement of ministers with full protocol in Karachi also created problems for traffic and cause severe traffic jams.

Presiding over a meeting recently, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had barred provincial ministers and advisors from using traffic pilots and directed the Sindh chief secretary to take up the issue of the use of traffic pilots by federal ministers for whom traffic signals were shut off in the city as they passed through.

Sources said that the provincial chief secretary had also communicated to the secretary of the cabinet division that henceforth only one official car would be provided for a federal minister and minister for state and no other official vehicles, except for security, would be provided to the minister or his or her entourage.

On June 7, Provincial Home Secretary Brig (retd) Ghulam Muhammad Mohtaram announced at a press meeting at his office that from Monday, June 12, at least 1,700 police constables would be relieved from the security and protocol of provincial ministers and advisors. He said that the decision was taken at the request of government functionaries so that this force could be assigned to street crimes. Now, he added, each minister and advisor could keep only one police mobile unit for their protection.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\11\story_11-6-2006_pg12_1

KARACHI: Rs50bn projects being completed

KARACHI, June 11: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, on Sunday told citizens that Karachi would be a developed city in two years.

He met people on this visit to the Landhi abattoir, Aiwan-i-Riffat, Karsaz, National Stadium, Hassan Square Flyover, Gharibabad, Liaquatabad and Nazimabad underpasses, Garden, Pak Colony and Abul Hassan Isfahani Road and reviewed ongoing uplift projects.

He said that uplift projects worth more than Rs50 billion were near completion, after which economic activities in the city will get accelerated.

He said work on the tallest building of Pakistan would begin by the end of the current month.

The nazim hoped that new projects would provide jobs to some 40,000 youths. He directed officials to carry out a campaign against illegal slaughterhouses.

He said to meet shortage of doctors, 36 more doctors should be employed on contract basis and each town should be provided with two doctors, so a campaign against illegal slaughtering could be launched and citizens could be provided with quality meat.

He asked that a tender for Aiwan-i-Riffat should be re-issued within a week and work on this lingering project should be started by July 15.

He said that presently work was in progress, day and night, on 551 uplift projects in the city.

Meanwhile, on the directive of the City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board started the cleaning of storm water drains on Sunday to prepare for the upcoming monsoon season.

A meeting of the KWSB held on Saturday under the chairmanship of its Managing Director, Brig Iftikhar Haider, decided to start the cleaning of all 41 storm water drains in all towns on war footing in order to avoid blockade in draining out rainwater during the monsoon season.

The MD directed that work should be completed in the next 20 to 25 days. He also ordered making arrangements for shifting the garbage taken out of the drains to the dumping site.The Chief Engineer Infrastructure, Asood Mal, the zonal chief engineer and the superintendent engineer were present.

The water board, after dividing the city into three zones, began the first phase cleaning of drains in Malir, Landhi and Jamshed Town on Sunday.—PPI/APP


http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/12/local7.htm

KARACHI: A landmark fading into history

KARACHI: A landmark in its own right, Metropole Hotel is poised to fade into history. But those who had spent a good part of their evenings in a company of top journalists may not forget the memories associated with it.

How would those feel who had been regular/ daily visitors to some of its reserved counters is difficult to say, as much has changed since then.

Situated at a walking distance from the newspapers offices, it was convenient for a junior member of the journalist fraternity to measure the distance just in a few minutes and to be at his seat listening to the seniors commenting on national and international affairs. Many of that era are no more with us, their memories are.

Reminiscences of that progressive era, extensive and lively discussions on every subject under the sun may be difficult to forget for the surviving ones.

It may not be that easy to forget the memories associated with the Metropole Hotel. It was a daily evening meeting ground for the city journalists before most of them shifted to Lahore.

The evenings at the Metropole Hotel remained an envy of journalists. In fact, Metropole Hotel of 50s, being one of the top hotels had other attractions too, both for the foreign and local visitors.

The second alternative was the Palace Hotel, a prestigious structure from the Raj era. It had its own charms but in no way matching with those of the Metropole.

The Palace Hotel left its legacy for the Sheraton. One wishes if Metropole management could have opted for an identical venture to keep the memories associated with it alive.—Shaharyar


http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/12/local17.htm

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9563/metropole2zh.jpg

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/12/SlideShow/pic08.jpg

KARACHI - June 11, 2006: A worker busy assembling a merry-go-round to be installed in the Ibn-i-Qasim Park at Clifton.—Online



Source: Dawn (http://www.dawn.com)

Metropole Hotel used to be an amazing Art Deco styled structure and most definitely a major landmark. Its sad that it has to go, but it is also necessary. I think the new expressway that is under construction will be passing through here on its way to the Karachi Port.


مٹروپول ھوٹیل ایک زبردست آرٹ دیکو سٹاعل کی عمارت ھوتی تھی اور یقیناً ایک بڑا راھنما بھی تھی۔ یھ ایک افسوس کی بات ھے کھ اسے جانا پڑا ھے۔ مگر یھ ایک زروری امر تھا۔ میرے خیال میں نیا ایکسپرسوے کراچی کی بندرگاھ کی جانب اس کی جکھ سے گزرے گا۔

^ I heard that they will be constructing the 'new' Metropole Hotel, in place of the old one.

Not exactly sure but I heard its something around 20-25 stories.

fahadkhan i also heard the same thing

KARACHI, June 12: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has promulgated an ordinance banning polythene bags in the province with immediate effect. The ordinance prohibits the manufacture, sale and use of black polythene bags, including polythene bags below 30 micron thickness, in the province.

The ordinance, called the Sindh Prohibition on Manufacture, Sale and Use of Polythene Bags Ordinance, 2006, will come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on May 1, 2006.

In this ordinance, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context: (a) “factory” means any premises where polythene bags are manufactured and produced; (b) “Government” means the Government of Sindh; (c) “person” includes shopkeeper, factory owner, hawker and any person associated with manufacture or sale of polythene bags: (d) “polythene bag” means a leading product of plastic prepared from polythene granules; (e) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules; and (f) “rules” means rules made under this Ordinance.

No person shall manufacture, sell or use black polythene bags including the polythene bags below 30 micron thickness and of size as may be prescribed or offer any kind of eatable and non- eatable goods in such polythene bags.

Any person who contravenes the provisions of section shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to 50,000 rupees or with both.

Provided that if a person convicted for an offence punishable under this section is again convicted for such offence, the fine shall extend to 100,000 rupees and the term of imprisonment shall extend to six months.

Not withstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, an offence punishable under this ordinance shall be bail-able and triable under the provisions of the said code by a judicial magistrate specially empowered in this behalf under section 24 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.

No court shall take cognizance of an offence under this ordinance except upon a complaint in writing by the director-general of the Provincial Environmental Agency or any other officer of the agency authorised by him.

This ordinance shall have effect notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force.

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie against any person for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this ordinance.

The government may, by notification in official gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this ordinance.—APP

KARACHI, June 12: The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board started using new technology for the first time to lay the water and sewerage lines without digging and damaging roads and streets in the city.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal inaugurated the system on Sunday night at FTC Flyover where a 450-foot-long 15-inch-dia was being laid to supply water to Chanesar Goth at the depth of eight feet without causing any damage to Sharea Faisal.

Mustafa Kamal said the use of this technology would greatly help avoid creating traffic mess at busy roads and areas of the city. “It would have taken at least three months to lay this water supply line by digging the road but it would take hardly eight hours to lay it through the new technology,” he said.

KWSB officials were also present on this occasion. –PPI

Rickshaws to be banned by July 2007

KARACHI: Rickshaws will be banned in the city by July 2007 and people engaged in this business will be provided with incentives and facilities so that they can carry on their livelihood. This was told to Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad at high-level meetings held at Governor’s House on Tuesday. The two separate meetings, chaired by the governor, reviewed matters pertaining to vehicles fitness system, checking of smoke-emitting vehicles and making driving license issuance transparent. Dr Ebad expressed dissatisfaction with the existing system of vehicles fitness and stressed the need for setting it on modern lines. Ways and means to ensure compliance of environmental requirements also came under discussion. The governor said that on directive of the Sindh High Court, the provincial government was carrying out a programme to check smoke-emitting and noisy vehicles. He called for taking transporters into confidence to make a progress in this regard.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=10819

KARACHI: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal said that three Malaysian companies have shown interest in investing in solid waste management and would hopefully start work within a month. These companies would collect garbage from houses and dump it at the landfill site, he told a meeting of town nazims late Monday night. Sewerage drains are now the responsibility of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board which now would undertake the cleaning of drains. The CDGK plans to build vegetable and fruit markets in all towns. It also plans to launch action against illegal hydrants and unauthorized water connections.


http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\14\story_14-6-2006_pg12_3

The development on Polythene bags is really encouraging. This is huge news in my opinion. And on rikshaws..i think its complicated, they should just shut it off all of a sudden. they should give them a time frame and then ban it. give them atleast 2-3 months notice and make sure that government incentives reach them before they go out of work.

The garbage collection is a major development. Pakistan really needs these kind of door to door garbage collecting service.
Nice developments.

The development on Polythene bags is really encouraging. This is huge news in my opinion. And on rikshaws..i think its complicated, they should just shut it off all of a sudden. they should give them a time frame and then ban it. give them atleast 2-3 months notice and make sure that government incentives reach them before they go out of work.

The garbage collection is a major development. Pakistan really needs these kind of door to door garbage collecting service.
Nice developments.


they have 1 year from now .. check the date again .. its july 2007 not 2006

KARACHI, June 15: Acting City Nazim Nasreen Jalil has said that alternative sources are being explored to meet water shortage in Karachi.

She was talking to a delegation of an Indian company in her office on Thursday.

She said that the city government was taking every possible step to make the city clean and green. Efforts are being made to have a system under which sewage could be treated to retrieve clean water for use in parks and green belts.

Ramesh Chandra and other members of the delegation briefed Ms Jalil about the technology the company offers to treat sewerage water effectively. They told her that the technology was cost-effective and being used in many countries for the purpose.

The acting nazim asked the city government officials concerned to study various aspects of the technology.

On the occasion, she expressed the view that Pakistan and India should reopen visa offices in Karachi and Mumbai at the earliest to facilitate easy movement of their citizens across the border.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/16/local13.htm

KARACHI, June 15: Out of a total allocation of Rs43 billion for 23 districts of Sindh, Karachi has a budget estimate of Rs8.15 billion for 2006-2007 as against the last revised estimate of Rs 8.7 billion in 2005-2006. However, the government had a budget estimate of Rs8.3 billion for 2005-2006.

Karachi is the 14th largest city of the world with a population of approximately 15 million and is projected to become the sixth largest city of the world by 2015 with a population of 19 million.

The government has sought assistance of the Asian Development Bank for the mega city projects with a view to facilitate modern management of this backbone of Pakistan’s economy and to provide needed infrastructure and services. ADB in this context has extended a technical assistance of $10 million for facilitating preparation of various projects to be financed under the Mega City Project. The follow-up loan will be negotiated in 2006-2007.

The Tameer-i-Karachi Package, announced by the president in August 2003, has moved forward. Various schemes under the package, as well as those being executed with federal funds are nearing completion, prominent among them being the Northern Bypass and Lyari Expressway. A break-up of allocation with sector-wise estimates reveals that a sum of Rs117 million has been allocated for industries in Sindh for new schemes in which the share of city’s industrial sector is Rs30 million for special industrial estate on Super Highway. The total allocation for industries in Sindh is Rs600 million.

The allocation for the ongoing schemes of improvement in infrastructural facilities in the industrial estates of Sindh, Industrial Trading Estate Limited Karachi, Nooriabad, Hyderabad, Kotri and Sukkur is Rs299 million.

In water and power category, a sum of Rs5 million has been allocated for electrification in Goths of Karachi under a new scheme out of total power sector allocation of Rs65 million for 2006-2007.

For the ongoing schemes, a sum of Rs20 million has been allocated for the setting up of planning, monitoring and evaluation in the irrigation and power department in Karachi under survey and investigation. A sum of Rs20 million has been earmarked for construction of delay-action dams, small dams and recharge dam in Lower Kohistan for Karachi/Jamshoro.

For construction of Bund Weir-III across River Malir RD-62.4 Demlotte Well, Rs15 million has been allocated.

In transport and communication, a sum of Rs4.5 billion has been allocated for new fiscal in which share of Karachi is very negligible as compared to other districts. Under new scheme, a sum of Rs1.9 million has been fixed for the feasibility study with regard to the construction of road from Super Highway to Sehwan along the Sui Gas Line of 152kms for Karachi to Dadu.

In ongoing scheme (improvement), Rs4.164 million has been allocated for widening/reconditioning of Hub Road to Mochko (8kms) under the scheme for Karachi. The total allocation for improvement sector is Rs1.176 billion for new fiscal. A sum of Rs1 million has been earmarked for block scheme for improvement of provincial roads in Malir. The construction of Gadap-Mole road (Karachi) gets the allocation of Rs5 million. A sum of Rs1 million has been fixed for block schemes for the construction of provincial roads in each district (Karachi/Malir).

In education, Rs5 million has been fixed for the establishment of polytechnic institutes at Korangi and Azam Basti Karachi under new schemes. Rs2 million each have been earmarked for the introduction of postgraduate.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/16/local1.htm

I saw this ad the other day, the KPT (Karachi Port Trust) is inviting tenders for construction of a "Cruise Ship Terminal" at the Karachi port.

Nice!

KARACHI: The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has invited foreign marine consultants to apply for preparing feasibility, planning, study and detailed design for the development of a cruise terminal.

Officials say the KPT has decided to build the cruise terminal keeping in view the prospects of traveling by sea from Dubai to Karachi.

A large number of Pakistanis travel very frequently between Dubai and Pakistani cities by airlines. The development of cruise terminal will increase their options. They would be able to take larger quantities of cargo with them. Besides the cruise ships that come to Dubai and Indian ports might also be attracted to Karachi, say the KPT officials.

General Manager Planning and Development of KPT Brig Jamshaid Zaidi told The News that cruise liners are not coming to the port for quite sometime.

“We want the cruise liners going to Dubai and Mumbai to come to Karachi as well,” he said, adding: “The project is feasible even if passenger ships ply on only one route - from Dubai to Karachi.”

He said a preliminary study has found the project feasible and it is estimated that the project will cost Rs1.5-2 billion.

He said cruise ships usually come to a port city only for a stay of one day, so a resort in Manora would be developed to provide some attraction to cruise ships.

Deputy Conservator of KPT Noman Alvi said cruise ships used to come to Karachi only until 1980s. He said a ship of British India Dawarka called at Karachi in 1984 while another came in 1986. Cruise ships used to come to Karachi regularly till 1960s. Victoria Line was a big name among them.

He said that with the advent of large passenger jet aircraft in the 1960s, the vast majority of inter-continental travellers switched from ships to planes.

He said cruise ships, which go to Dubai and Mumbai, do not come to Karachi because the city is not famous for holiday resorts or shopping centres. Besides, the law and order situation in the country is to blame for the current situation, he said and added that very often the governments of developed countries advise their citizens not to travel to Pakistan.

KPT officials say it might take at least two and a half years to complete the cruise terminal. In this period, KPT will build its hotel and shopping galleria in its area and renovate buildings in Manora. Clifton Park has already been completed. These will provide some attraction to tourists, they added.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=11200

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/17/SlideShow/pic08.jpg

KARACHI - June 16, 2006: Carpeting of Maulvi Tameezuddin Khan Road in progress on Friday.

^^ you got there first, but still, heres a bigger picture:

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7919/roadrep4ya.jpg

^ Finally! Its been lying un-carpeted for about 4 months now

Hi..im new to the pakistan forums...anyway, im pakistani and i was wondering..what happened to the world's tallest fountain?

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/6550/02060ri.gif

Hi..im new to the pakistan forums...anyway, im pakistani and i was wondering..what happened to the world's tallest fountain?
You mean the 2nd tallest fountain? Yes, it has been created and it is operational.

I. T. Tower

WHY THE HECK NEAR THE CIVIC CENTER???? THERES NO TALL BUILDINGS THERE AND ITS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE DOWNTOWN!

This is crazy planning!

I reached karachi today , and i was on the road coming from Submarine chawk, which goes over the road towards and then goes towards grammer school. I was soo impressed by the size off the road. The road is big and bump free. The only thing which was missing was the police taking control of the cars which are parked next to 'the forum'. Those cars took one lane off the road. soo it went from a 4 laner...to a 3 laner...
1st of all, the people themselves shouldnt be doing this but then the police isnt doing anything about it. Rather sad to see that. But the road looked really nice. Glad to see some improvement.

hmmm SSG building and Pakistan radio buildings are there. i guess its good to have another much taller building there...

^^ but still, its far removed from the idea of a well planned downtown. If this building is made there, Karachi wont have a consolidated skyline. Just a few tall buildings scattered here and there. It should be made either in central khi, or clifton, or on shahrah-e-faisal to be okay with the Karachi skyline.

I would be thoroughly opposed to such a tall building being constructed near the Civic center.


also, AHADHAYAT11, do take photos if at all possible.

KARACHI: Underpasses to be ready next month


KARACHI, June 17: City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil said here on Saturday that City Government is striving for completion of all mega projects ahead of target period. She said work is going on round-the-clock on all projects and one track of Liaquatabad, Nazimabad and Gharibabad under-passes will be completed by July 2006.

She stated this after inspecting work on various projects along with consultant of Asian Development Bank.

She said work on these projects is progressing at with a record speed which never happened in the history of Karachi and it will serve as a milestone for development of Karachi.

The ADB Consultant Royston A.C. Bockman, after having appraisal about details of work on these projects, described the same as quite impressive and said the city government should continue its efforts.

The City Council's Chairman for Works Mahmoodul Hasan, EDO Works Sarfraz Shah and other senior officials were also present and informed the Naib City Nazim that Rs 50 billion are being spent on ongoing projects while projects costing Rs 30 billion are nearing completion.

She was informed that Karsaz, Hasan Square flyovers and Stadium Road inter-change would hopefully be completed in the next four months.

Nasreen Jalil directed that debris be removed from places where work has already been completed so that traffic flow is not impeded. She expressed satisfaction that the city government has constructed alternate routes for roads where work is going on. She called for close liaison with traffic police for better traffic flow.

She was informed that Garden Road is being constructed at a cost of Rs198.80 million and one track of Abul Ispahani road will be opened for traffic during the current month while structure of Habib Ebrahim Rehmatoola-Sharea Faisal flyover, costing Rs 136 million will be completed in two months.

The City Naib Nazim was surprised to see the pace of work on Liaquatabad under-pass and said its roof was filled just within two days.

She was told that 50 per cent work on National Stadium flyover has been completed within six weeks.—APP

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/18/local4.htm

^^ I hope that while they are going at this breakneck speed, they are not compromising on the quality or the design of these projects.

I wonder why their making it near Civic Centre?!

The Expo Centre is right opposite and if there is any VIP movement the whole area is closed, so it means that you cannot get to the "Tallest Building in Karachi" during VIP movement!

Its just crazy, I think the area is where the ex-CDGK was planning a Women's Library (Right opposite the Civic Centre)

Norway firm to start making wind turbine

Staff Report

KARACHI: NBT As of Norway, one the leading Wind Turbine Manufactures in the world is to establish manufacturing facilities of Mega Watt Class Wind Turbines in Pakistan.

According to a press release on Saturday, this was decided at a meeting between managing director Karachi Shipyard, vice Admiral Iftekhar Ahmed Rao and chairman NBT AS Norway, Arne Myre. Chairman AEBD, Air Marshal (retd) Shahid Hamid chaired the meeting.

NBT AS of Norway reached to an agreement with the Karachi Shipyard to manufacture wind turbines in Pakistan.

The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) in pursuance of its mandate facilitated the agreement.

As per the agreement, the NBT AS would set up Wind Turbine Manufacturing facility at Karachi Shipyard to manufacture Mega Watt Class Wind Turbines with a cumulative capacity of at least 1000 MW within five years. AEBD would also facilitate NBT AS in setting up a number of Wind Power Plants in Pakistan with a cumulative capacity of 1000 MW.

Shahid Hamid said the agreement was a leap forward in achieving AEDB’s goal of indigenous manufacturing of Wind Turbines of ME class.

He reiterated AEBD’s commitment to promote Alternative Renewable Energy in the country and ensured full facilitation to all those interested in undertaking Alternative Renewable Energy projects in Pakistan.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\18\story_18-6-2006_pg5_20

Mission: Green Karachi

By Intikhab Ali

KARACHI: The CDGK has planned a comprehensive program to convert the barren facade of the city into one of flowery, green pastures. The program, to be launched under the campaign of “Green Karachi” and includes the transplantation of trees into empty spaces, was announced on Saturday.

The agriculture department of the CDGK has been involved in this program and according to the plan, school teachers, CDGK employees, and the staff members of 18 town administrations, as well as all other common citizens will be imparted free horticultural training to create awareness, and an understanding of the importance and need for an eco-friendly environment in this city.

The naib city nazim, Nasreen Jalil, argued that Karachi has long been lacking of greenery and relatively deprived of trees, and as the CDGK is working hard to evolve the city in each and every aspect, they would also do well to improve the look of Karachi.

She was of the view that natural beauty is greenery and Karachi, being one of the largest cities in the world, deserved a setting worthy of its reputation. She reiterated that this project should be a combined effort of the citizens and the CDGK can not make the city green and flowery on its own without and required a certain amount of public participation. She Impressed upon men, women and children in all walks of life to participate in the free training of horticulture after which plants and trees would be provided to them for plantation.

She further said that the concerned department has already been directed, in this regard, to devise a comprehensive plan to turn the city botanical beauty, keeping in view the standard of trees plantation in other international cities.

Jalil added that the chairman of the agriculture committee of the City Council, Arif Bhatti, will monitor the program.

Bhatti, when contacted by the Daily Times, said that according to the program, 26 courses have been designed for the free horticulture training of any citizen, regardless of gender, interested in it, and the program will be started after the summer vacations of local schools had ended.

Bhatti said that everyone was welcome to join the horticulture training so that after the training they can efficiently play their role in the beautification of city.

He said that initially, school teachers, CDGK employees and staffers of all 18 town administrations will be trained on the trees plantation campaign.

Bhatti mentioned that out of the 26 courses, it is up to the participants which type of horticulture course he or she would like to participate in, and CDGK has provided experts who will facilitate the training. Each course has been planned a five days training program which will include educating participants on the proper care and handling of trees and plants.

The DO Horticulture & Training Agriculture Group of Office, Mesbah Jamillee, one of the trainers, told the Daily Times that these courses will educate the participants on house plantation, and all other types of gardening and trees plantation even for those living in apartments and flats in high rises. It would also cover urban vegetable growing in pots to and decrease the risk of consumption of contaminated vegetables.

Jamillee said that these horticulture courses will be provided in various categories and choice of participation was flexible. He opined that even professional gardeners could benefit from these courses.

He claimed that one could be an accomplished horticulturist if all 26 course were attended.

Jamillee said that the forest department of the CDGK assured their complete cooperation to ensure the program’s success and offered to provide trees and plants free of cost to the participants.

Among other things, he also pointed out that the involvement of local teachers and students across the city will be a break-through for the program, and hence the primary reason for initiating the program after the summer vacations. He was hopefully that with their participation, the awareness and importance of sustaining an eco-system will spread rapidly among the masses. He encouraged all interested parties to join and register their names by contacting the program coordinators on the following numbers; 9215798 and 9205631.

Jamillee stated that if a sufficient amount of applicants were registered before local schools started the new semester, the courses could then be started sooner for the interested people.

If the “Green Karachi” program is successful, the large-scale landscaping and the development of such a massive, managed botanical eco-system, would be one of the city’s biggest achievements

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\18\story_18-6-2006_pg12_6

Great ad in the newspaper today. Seems like the Faysal Bank Building on Shahrah e Faisal has largely been completed.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/5181/faysalbnk9cj.jpg

I am not to keen on this breakneck speed thing. I wouldn't be surprised if things start falling off in 10 or 15 years.

Secondly, where is Tamizuddin road? I hardly know any roads by name.

I am not to keen on this breakneck speed thing. I wouldn't be surprised if things start falling off in 10 or 15 years.

Secondly, where is Tamizuddin road? I hardly know any roads by name.

Maulvi Tamizuddin khan road is parrallel to I.I Chudrigarh road... and its where PIDC office is ...Sheraton , Pearl continental hotels are located at the intersection of Maulvi Tamizzudin khan road i dont know the name of the other road... But i m pretty sure you might know where sheraton and PC is..

^^ M. T. Khan road was formerly called Queen's Road. It is the road that travels from the PIDC bridge over to the Port. It passes from behind all the railway warehouses, and Bahria Complex is located on it.

We need more of these types of social events.

http://www.palmsportsarena.com/home.html

where is this located?

ATV's are cool!

Under the green Karachi program....they must remember the huge area of Mangaroves.....

Moreover, There are a thousands of empty(BRWONY) lands in KArachi......like playing grounds and GREEN BELTS....which are not much green.....but sandy...

and....the airstrip of Karachi Airport ...

the Cantonment area of Drigh Road....Dalmia(stadium road), and the HILLS of Karachi(in orangi town, pahar gunj,north karachi sectors 7-D/1/2 & 3 surjani, etc)

Andddddd Super Highway, etccccc

If you fly over the North NAzim abad by plane or Google Earth, U will come to know that this area is probably the best planned area of Asia....but...no care has been taken to preserve and plan more greenry in this area.....rather the trees cut after singnalising the FIVE STAR ROUND ABOUT.....were not planted anywhere else.....neither much alternative greenry planted....instead.....EXCEPT the Greenbelt on SAKHI HASAN to BOARD OFFICE road.......i must add it is the GREEN BELT of KARACHI..!!!!! one of the most green....

And from Google Earth, u eill see the bulk of SPORTS COMPLEXES in North Nazim abad.....yess not only grounds....but SPORTS COMPLEXES. there are three areas, which have 4,3 and 2 grounds side by side in different Blocks. but these grounds are BROWN :(

The Nagan chowrangi....after signalisation.....is waiting the GREENRY since about 3 years........rememeber it was one of most Green Round abouts of Karachi....and probably Pakistan....

one thing I forgot.......THE GREAT SEASHORES of Karachi........

and to the makers of so-called MODEL PARKS in Karachi......i must say that " AGAR UNHAIN NEW YORK KA CENTRAL PARK DIKHA DIA JAEY TO HAIRAT K MARAY MER HI JAEYN GAY :D.......hehehe

Welll.....To lay grass, fix some small plants, install rides, colorfull GRILLS....is not the name of MAKING A MODEL PARK.......

Model Park is I think..... a sort of Mini-Jungle....

We want Oxygen....we want GIANT TREES....not the trees not taller tahn 4 feet.....

We want a green Karachi......not just MODEL PARKS......not just GRASS....but trees also.....

we want the HEAVY SMOKES of Road transport to be removed........

^^ I think the best tree for Karachi is the neem tree. If every person who lives in the city was just to plant one of these trees somewhere in the city, imagine how much the environment would improve!

Right.....true indeed...

I was thinking the same way.....

I plannin to make my street green.......but i cant do it alone......first of all i must unite my neighborhood.....:).......

Iff they contribute....to the cost!!!!

it would take them years and years to grow.

Right.....true indeed...

I was thinking the same way.....

I plannin to make my street green.......but i cant do it alone......first of all i must unite my neighborhood.....:).......

Iff they contribute....to the cost!!!!

Comeon! All you need is initiative! I dont think a neem tree sapling costs hardly more than Rs. 10 I myself am planning to undertake some kind of my own tree planting campaign when I return to Karachi.

Signal-free route in three months


KARACHI, June 20: The City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, on Tuesday said the Site-Airport route would become signal-free within the next three months.

He said the present city government had set an example by carrying out six years of work in just a few months, adding that six mega uplift projects worth several billion rupees were being completed in a record time period.

He said while undertaking an inspection visit of ongoing development projects in the city.

The DCO Karachi, Fazalur Rehman, EDO Works & Services Syed Sarfaraz Ali Shah and project directors accompanied the nazim.

He inspected ongoing construction work on the Hino Chowk, Karsaz, National Stadium and Hassan Square flyovers, and the Gharibabad, Liaquatabad and Nazimabad underpasses.

Mr Kamal said the city government was achieving its target and hoped that the process of speedy development of Karachi would continue.

He said that by shifting underground utility networks and accelerating the pace of work, uplift projects would now be completed expeditiously.

The nazim said the flyover at Karsaz, being constructed at a cost of Rs137 million, would be completed within the next three months.

He directed officials concerned to submit him a daily progress report about work on all uplift projects so that the pace of work could be analysed.He said he had decided to undertake surprise visits of the ongoing projects and would take on-the-spot action if he found work suspended or moving at a snail’s pace.

He said work on the underconstruction National Stadium flyover at a cost of Rs480 million would be completed within the next two and a half months.

“The pace of work on the project is satisfactory and will be completed before the IDEAS-2006 exhibition starts at Karachi Expo Centre,” he said, adding that participants of the event would feel a change and enjoy signal-free route to the Expo Centre.

Meanwhile, the City Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, also laid the foundation stone of the Chartered Institute of Logistic and Transport (CILT) building on Tuesday.

The DG, Karachi Mass Transit Cell, Malik Zaheerul Islam, the CILT Honorary General Secretary Brig Qasim and others were present.—PPI

Source: http://epaper.dawn.com

Demolitions render thousands homeless in Karachi: NGO

KARACHI: Civil society activists in Pakistan have expressed concern over the continuing high rate of evictions in Karachi as a result of government-backed investment projects to develop infrastructure in the port city.

“So far this year alone, from January to May, the local authorities have razed nearly 3,500 housing units in various informal settlements in the name of development across the city, making over 23,000 people virtually homeless,” Mohamed Younus, the director of the Urban Resource Centre (URC), a Karachi-based non-governmental organisation, said.

“And another 6,000 units are on the plan,” Younus said.

The demolition of such settlements wipes out millions of dollars worth of investment made over the years, destroying life-long savings of those affected, he added.

Karachi is the commercial hub of the nation, accounting for 95% of the country’s foreign trade and 30% of its industrial production.

In the city of over 12mn, more than 60% of people are estimated to be living in such settlements.

The government has attempted to tackle the housing shortage in the past but efforts have failed to reach the poor.

More than 25,000 housing units have been demolished in the name of illegal encroachments over the last 10 years by various government agencies, resulting in the displacement of more than 150,000 people, according to the URC.

One project causing particular concern is the Lyari Expressway, a 16.5km three-lane road along both banks of the Lyari River designed to divert Karachi’s port-related traffic to up-country destinations without passing through the city.

The project started in 2002 and is expected to result in the removal of as many as 25,000 housing units from both sides of the river, half of which haven been torn down already.

Over 3,000 commercial units, including shops and household businesses have also been razed.

According to Syed Mustafa Kamal, mayor of Karachi, “it’s all being done to make the city, the seventh largest in the world, an engine of growth for Pakistan and an attraction for people from around the world.”

For the purpose, the Karachi City Government is planning to demolish and evict inhabitants of another 6,000 housing units in 20 different informal settlements across the city.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=92511&version=1&template_id=41&parent_id=23

^^ Well they ARE in fact informal and illegal settlements in the first place. The govt. has every right to remove them. But what is needed is an effective aid plan for those that are affected. They should have some sort of an allowance and easy access to credit on intrest-free basis.

If one grabs 100 rupees illegally, even after hundred years, the possession remains illegal. so is this case.

I certainly agree, and same goes for the stealing/illegal connections of water and electricity.

I seriously dont know why people say that they are poor and cant afford electricity or water, you should seriously watch them on Chand Raat and Eid. If one is poor then they should lower their demands and cut down on un-necessary shopping and outdoor eating!

So I definately support the eviction drive and would also support any action against people with illegal connections.

Ph. VIII is where Creek City, Creek Marina, Golf Club are located.

It also has the Carlton Hotel, Area 51 ..

The meeting was told that a model katchi abadi would be established and its residents would be provided with lease facility. In the first phase, Essa Basti of Federal B Area has been selected for the purpose.

Park, school, hospital and playground would be developed in Essa Basti after shifting its residents temporarily to a multi-storey building. Later, housing units would be constructed in the locality with comprehensive planning. After completion of this project, the process would be replicated in other slums. —PPI

This is a better way to convert unplanned kachi abadies in to well planned residential areas. InshAllah Karachi will soon be slum free and 100% well planned.

Regarding the razing of illegal settlements, the fact is that for decades there has existed a "land grabbers mafia" who are criminals who grab government and privately owned land and sell it to buyers who build illegal houses without any permission. Then they acquire unauthorized electrical connections from which they suck power without paying for it.

Once the settlement grows there is clamor for the city to provide roads and other infrastructure. The city government then "regularizes" the settlement and provides services which costs money. So the city is obliged to incur expenditure on areas that are illegal, pay no dues and that are built without any planning permission, often in a haphazard way.

Unfortunately an extensive area of Karachi is built this way. Because it is so easy to grab land in Karachi, just like Karachi provides 90% of the stolen cars in the country, the mafias who operate these rackets have begun to take it for granted that it is their God given right to continue to do so.

Now that the City Government is trying to stop this, all manners of vested interests are resisting and threatening to turn it into an issue of ethnic discrimination. In reality it is an issue of existing laws being applied to an activity which amounts to theft.

Karachi is probably the world's fastest growing city. With a population of 15 million it is growing at a rate of over 5%. Internal growth is 1.9% and migration is 3.1%. This means that the city is adding 500,000-750,000 people every year, 465,000 of whom are new arrivals. The city adds more residents in one year than the population of most cities in the world.

Karachi serves as the "pressure valve" for unemployed people from all over Pakistan. However this puts overwhelming pressure on the resources of the city. The demand for electricity, water, sewerage and other utilities is going beyond the capacity of the city to provide. Roads are choked with traffic and pollution is getting worse. The law abiding residents are the ones who end up paying the price for all this.

The solution to the problem is to make large scale investments to upgrade the infrastructure of the city. However in the current revenue sharing formula the vast bulk of the revenue is soaked up by the federal government while the provincial and local governments have a minuscule capacity to raise revenue from the city. In the latest federal budget just announced the allotment for Islamabad with 1 million residents was three times what Karachi got with 15 million residents.

Despite all the challenges Karachi is doing well and manages to attract about 25-40% of all the investment being made in the country. It has a GNP of $28 billion and a per capita income of almost $2,000, double the national rate.

Lets hope Karachi continues to develop so that it surpasses Islamabad in organization. Or at least thats my dream for Karachi.

Nadra to modernise driving license system
KARACHI: The government has decided in principle to computerise the system of issuing driving licenses, besides linking it to the national database.

This was decided in a high-level meeting held at the Governor’s House, here on Wednesday. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan presiding over the meeting asked the Home Department to finalise a comprehensive strategy in this regard in consultation with other related departments, within a month.

Director General Nadra Sindh Brig Abid Haider Kazmi told the meeting about the methodology to computerise the driving license system on modern lines. He said that in its first phase, the system would be implemented in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur and later would be extended to rest of the province.

All offices related to the issuing driving licenses, would be linked through a network. Ebad asked the officials concerned to contact to other provinces and the federal government in this regard. He said that the new system was aimed at simplifying the driving license issuing process and making it transparent.

Sindh Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman, Secretary Finance Malik Israr, Secretary Excise and Taxation Mir Hassan Ali, IGP Sindh Jehangir Mirza, DIG Traffic Falak Khursheed, and senior Nadra officials were also present.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=12131

KARACHI, June 21: Suggestions have been sought from citizens to name the country’s tallest structure ‘IT Tower’ to be constructed by the City District Government of Karachi in collaboration with private sector. The construction of proposed 46-floor tower will start after signing of agreement among the city government, Malaysian and Indian firms in the first week of July.

The decision was taken at a briefing given to City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal about IT Tower and 24-km-long Quaidabad-Jinnah Bridge Elevated Expressway projects on Wednesday. DCO Fazlur Rehman, EDOs and representatives of both the foreign companies attended the briefing.

Deputy Chief Executive of IJM Corporation Berhad, Malaysia, Goh Chye Koon, told the participants of the meeting that five out of 46 floors of the proposed tower would be reserved for parking and other five floors for city government offices.

The building would have a 1000-seat call centre besides seminar auditorium, library, health centre, guestroom with capacity to accommodate 65 persons and other facilities including automatic car parking rims, he said, adding it would be the most modern structure. The project would be completed in the shortest possible time, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, the city nazim said with construction of flyovers, underpasses, expressways and the tallest building, Karachi would enter into a new era.

He said that Karachi was being developed as an international business city and with the completion of ongoing uplift projects, doors of employment would be opened for about 30,000 educated and skilled youths.—PPI

Note: As the keenest skyscraper watchers, members of this forum should be the ones that come up with the best name.

Link for the above post. Sorry I missed it before:
http://www.dawn.com/2006/text/local11.htm

Why not name the building after Karachi's tribe and/or founder, Mai Kolachi? There's a road bypass in Karachi named after her, but I think she deserves something better than that. Maybe "Mai Kolachi Plaza"?

Carrefour and Metro coming to Karachi: city Nazim
From Syed Asif Ali

22 June 2006



KARACHI — City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that world-renowned retail giants are interested in opening their outlets in Karachi.


"We have been in talks with Carrefour and Metro — international retail companies belonging to France and Germany respectively — for introducing the concept of hypermarkets in Karachi," Kamal said in an exclusive chat with Khaleej Times yesterday.
He said that the representatives of Carrefour had visited Karachi recently.

"On the basis of a well-planned survey, we have identified several locations to them.

"Now they will choose seven of the identified locations to open as many outlets of Carrefour in the city," he said, expressing the hope that a deal would be struck with the French company within a month.

Negotiations with Metro — a key player in international retail and Europe's second largest commercial company — are also in progress on similar lines, he said.

Rejecting the popular opinion that law and order situation is a big impediment to foreign investment in the metropolis, Kamal said that his government was working very hard for attracting foreign investors; and as a result, the representatives of a number of foreign companies had been visiting the city these days for exploring the various areas of investment. High occupancy rates in the city's luxury hotels is a big proof of that, he added.

He said that Karachi holds a great potential. "With sincere efforts, it could be turned into a city with state-of-the-art facilities. And we have been working towards achieving this end," he added.

He said more emphasis was being laid on public-private partnership while private sector was being brought forward for investment in the city and provided incentives for the purpose.

He said growing involvement of foreign investors in uplift plans had registered a record increase in Pakistan, especially Karachi, due to the special interest being taken by President General Pervez Musharraf and the growing economy of Sindh. The city Nazim referred to the plans for the construction of six mass transit corridors and said these would not only meet the requirement of this city but of Central Asia as well, thereby attracting investments from other countries of the region.

About the inconvenience caused to residents due to the construction projects being carried out in almost entire Karachi, he said that soon a new Karachi would emerge out of the debris. "We only need to wait for some time," he said.

Giving details, he said that the first phase of the construction and development projects in the city would be completed in the next six months. During this period, work on four flyovers and three underpasses would be accomplished, he said

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2006/June/subcontinent_June775.xml&section=subcontinent&col=

Its good to see the City Govt. going to the citizens for suggestions, but I'm still not sure about the location (near Civic Centre).

Why not name the building after Karachi's tribe and/or founder, Mai Kolachi? There's a road bypass in Karachi named after her, but I think she deserves something better than that. Maybe "Mai Kolachi Plaza"?

Plaza is the name for a very specific type of urban development. We Pakistanis tend to abuse it. Also, well, you cant name everything in Karachi after Mai Kolachi. It would start looking odd. Maybe something that reflects our heritage like the Gandhara International Airport at Islamabad was named. Maybe something like Indus Tower? or something of that sort.

Yeah indus would sound cool! but still the Gandhara doesn't make sense...
names are running out and more buildings are coming in....

Its good to see the City Govt. going to the citizens for suggestions, but I'm still not sure about the location (near Civic Centre).

I personally thinks its a good idea for this building to be near covic center .. expo center is right next to it.. where all your hi tech seminars and exhibitions held.... Plus..... what happens in the morning of karachi.. every one is just heading towards I.I. Chundrigarh road and saddar area.. that makes more load on Transport.. Atleast after completion of this building...... peoples will divert toward different direction of cities...

^^ but in this location then, a more low riser that is expansive laterally would have been better. There isnt any shortage of land in that area. A high riser should have been left for places like Clifton, I. I. Chundrigar or Shahrah-e-Faisal so at least it would fit in coherently in the skyline. Near Civic center, there would be place for maybe just one high rise tower like this and otherwise, it would be totally out of place from the city's downtown.

Also, I am hoping they release architectural plans for the building soon so people can comment on it. Such a large building development is usually undertaken in developed cities because of the impact its architecture produces in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Till now, nobody knows what this building is going to look like! The city has a DUTY to inform the citizens of Karachi about the architectural plans of this building.

City govt announces Rs 44b budget

* ‘It’s a surplus budget’
* Education gets Rs 10b, health Rs 3b
* 7-story car parking plaza to be built
* Rs 200m for Goth Infrastructure Development Fund

By Intikhab Ali

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has presented its annual budget for 2006-07, which stands at Rs 44.087 billion.

On Thursday, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal presented the budget, which contains a surplus amount of Rs 121.4 million. He announced the budget in a speech at the old KMC Building, where the city government descended for the budget session. The session was presided over by City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil.

Kamal said the new budget was devoid of any new local or civic taxes. He said a total amount of Rs 22.11 billion had been allocated for development projects and over Rs 21 billion for non-development works. He also said the current city government had initiated a number of mega projects in convenience with foreign investors worth Rs 55 billion.

Kamal said utmost priority had been given to education for which Rs 10 billion had been earmarked. He said this figure is 66 percent more from the last fiscal year and 23 percent of the total budget this time. He said Rs 3.37 billion had been sanctioned for the heath sector, which was eight percent of the total budget.

Kamal informed the city council that $250 million would be spent on the construction of an IT tower in Karachi. Kamal also said that Rs 203 million had been set aside for the computerization and networking of the city government, towns and union councils.

Kamal said an additional amount of Rs 7.50 billion was being spent on 290 other development projects according to the provincial annual development programme. Kamal said that foundation stone for the 24-kilometre long elevated expressway, which would stretch from the Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad, would be laid in August at the cost of $ 300 million. He said that Rs 15.83 billion has been allocated to the Works and Services department of the city government.

Kamal also announced earmarking Rs 1.69 billion for the 178 union councils (UC) of the city. This would mean that each UC would receive Rs 9.6 million to initiate development work in their areas. Kamal said Rs 88 million each had been allocated for women councillors, while Rs 13.5 million had been allocated for councillors of the minority areas.

He also said that Rs 20 million has been allocated for community policing and announced that this system would be introduced in each town employing people of the respective areas.

Kamal also informed the house that the city government would be purchasing two new snorkels for the fire department at a cost of Rs 112.6 million. He said that the federal government was establishing a search and rescue squad for the fire department. Kamal said Islamabad would provide the requisite funds of Rs 350 million for the squad. The federal government would also provide the fire department with 22 small vehicles for disaster management relief at an amount of Rs 8 million.

Kamal said the previous budget had approved staff hiring for only 12 fire stations whereas the city has 20 stations. He said hiring for the remaining eight had been approved in this budget. Kamal said the hiring procedure would be initiated shortly

Kamal also announced the establishment of a special fund. He announced an amount of Rs 200 million in the current budget for the 'Goth Infrastructure Development Fund,' which, Kamal said could be increased later, if need be.

Kamal said the federal government would provide Rs 4.50 billion to replace the old public transportation buses of the city. He said through this fund, the city government would buy more than 650 new large buses and with them would replace approximately 481 old ones on the streets.

Kamal announced the initiation of the first corridor of the Karachi Mass Transit Project (KMTP) from Sohrab Goth to Tower. He said plans had already been initiated for the second and third corridors of the project, as well. Kamal said the seven-storey car-parking plaza would be built, which would help consume the massive parking nuisance of the city. He also said that the truck stand at Hawksbay would be shifted next to the Northern Bypass, for which a plot of 500 acre had already been earmarked.

The city nazim also informed members that an amount of Rs 57.6 million rupees was being spent on the preparation of the Master Plan 2020, as well maps showing the proper placement of underground utility lines of the SSGC, KW&SB, KESC in the city. He said an amount of over five billion rupees has been set aside for the KW&SB.

Kamal said the city government was working on the construction of six parks and gardens in the city. He said Rs 300 million had been set aside for the construction of parks. Kamal said 80 percent work on the construction of the Baldia Town park, Khawaja Nazimuddin Park, ST-15 Park in Clifton, Gadap Town Park, Lyari Tow Park, Orangi Town Park, Jamshed Town Park, two parks in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and some other parks, had been completed.

Kamal said Rs 100 million had also been set aside for providing residential facilities to the employees of the city government and Rs 290 million for granting financial facilities to the ex-employees of defunct KMC equivalent to the defunct KDA. Kamal also said that Rs 200 million are being spent on laying new water supply lines in Lyari in addition to other schemes under Rs 805 million package for Lyari.

Kamal also announced to double the salaries of kundimen. He said previously sanitation workers were receiving a miserly amount of Rs 5,000 as monthly salary. He said these workers would now get Rs 10,000 per month, which was included in the budget.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\23\story_23-6-2006_pg12_1

seems too simple... we still dont have a name directly after Karachi/Pakistan. like "Karachi Tower/Pakistan Tower"... or "Karachi E-Complex" or "Karachi IT Complex".
or probably after the founder of Pakistan
like "Jinnah Tower"
or
there can be several other good names
like "IT Gateway"... "National Information Complex/NIC"... etc

Two points about the budget:

- As far as the replacement of buses goes, we have all heard repeatedly about the introduction of new buses in the city and this and that big amount being spent on it, but three to four years have easily passed with the government allocating major amounts towards aquiring new buses. However, THEY ARE STILL YET TO BE SEEN ON THE ROADS!! Where does that money go??

- Also, we have been hearing about the Mass Transit Corridor I for decades now and nothing is actually ever done. So if the government is actually really serious about it and it is actually about to be started like Mustafa Kamal says, then GIVE US SOME DAMN DETAILS!! Which company is involved, when is the construction supposed to start, how much is it going to cost and who is paying for the project? BOT -basis or the CDGK?? We need to know all this information to actually trust him now because the government has been crying "wolf!" for quite some time now. CONCRETE EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY, or its just, again, empty promises.

is ther any sort of a road map of DHA?? especially phase 8?? i tried looking around on the internet... but i couldn't even find a official DHA website.

KARACHI, June 22: The Adviser to Chief Minister, M A Jalil, has said the Sindh government was doing its best to promote investment in the city, adding that there were lots of investment opportunities here.

Exchanging views with a delegation of the Asian Development Bank at his office on Thursday, he told them that development projects in the city would be completed ahead of scheduled time.

He said that completion of all ongoing mega projects would make the city a major business centre in the region.

The Vice President of the ADB, Liqen Jion, said that Karachi would help promote economic prosperity in whole of Central Asia.

He said that the uplift of Karachi’s rural areas was a must, so that difference between the rural and urban areas could be ended.

The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, ADB representatives Hong Wang, Riza Tang, Peter Fedon, Additional Chief Secretary Sindh Ghulam Sarwar Khero, Sindh Finance Secretary Malik Israr, Special Secretary for Development Shoaib Siddiqui and others were present.

Meanwhile, the ADB has approved an amount of $60 million to raise the living standards of people in the interior of Sindh.

The amount will be used for construction and repair of roads in 175 villages, water supply and other projects in the interior, said the Sindh Local Government Adviser, Wasim Akhtar, who was speaking at an inaugural ceremony of the United Group of Companies’ recreational project, Cloud Seven, at a local hotel.

Under the project, a recreational spot will be developed on 1,168 acres in Gharo, some 69 kilometres from Karachi. It will provide recreational facility to people of Karachi and Hyderabad.

Mr Akhtar said the present government had laid a network of uplift projects in the province with complete guidance and support of the President and Prime Minister.

He asked the federal government to release development funds in time to avoid delay in completing uplift work in scheduled time.

He said besides the city government, the KPT and the Steel Mills were also spending money for the city’s uplift.—PPI

is ther any sort of a road map of DHA?? especially phase 8?? i tried looking around on the internet... but i couldn't even find a official DHA website.

www.dhakarachi.org

as far as the road map goes, most of the roads are still being developed, but you can see the general criss-cross structure from google earth.

I have a huge map of the whole DHA, Phase 1-8, but it is way too big to scan.

thanks a lot guys... the reason i m looking for a road map is cuz i got a plot in phase 8, but not quite sure where it is exactly.

seems too simple... we still dont have a name directly after Karachi/Pakistan. like "Karachi Tower/Pakistan Tower"... or "Karachi E-Complex" or "Karachi IT Complex".
or probably after the founder of Pakistan
like "Jinnah Tower"
or
there can be several other good names
like "IT Gateway"... "National Information Complex/NIC"... etc

Right Mehdi bhai.....I was gonna put soem suggestions like you......

The Karachi Tower!!

btw, National IT park is already present....

Your Point is right...that there is no building exclusivley having KARACHI's name....

so a must be considered point.....:

Karachi IT Tower

Karachi IT Complex

.....and something like that :)

Citizens watch with interest work on underpasses
By Azfar-ul-Ashfaque

Every evening a number of people including families are seen stopping their vehicles at the roadside of the Liaquatabad fly-over to witness the ongoing excavation and construction work of the Liaquatabad-Ghareebabad underpass.

From the top of the fly-over they can easily see the ongoing excavation and development work on the Liaquatabad as well as Ghareebabad underpass.

Obviously, those who are doing this are very keen to know the progress of the two projects. The site scene, which keeps on changing with every passing day, lures them to continue with this practice. Not at the fly-over alone, a number of people also gather near the dug up site of the underpass at Liaquatabad No 10 intersection to look at the development work closely. One can also notice the same practice while passing through Nazimabad fly-over, as another underpass is also under-construction at Petrol Pump. This clearly shows that people are eagerly waiting for the completion of these underpasses (development projects).

About three-and-a-half months ago the groundbreaking ceremony of Liaquatabad underpass was performed by none other than City Nazim Mustafa Kamal. The project, which was launched under the Tameer-e- Karachi Programme of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK), was a part of City Nazim’s envisaged programme of making the area from Nazimabad to Sharea Faisal signal-free to ease traffic congestion in the city.

The cost of the project is estimated around Rs 350 million and it would be about 700 meter long with three lanes and having 200-meter storm water drain, as well as 1.4 meter wide footpath on both sides of the underpass.

The city Nazim had given a timeframe of four months for the completion of the underpass at the time of kicking off of the work. But, had the city Nazim been aware of problems being faced by the city government in the shifting of utilities including water, electricity and other lines, he would never have given such a short timeframe.

For instance, an underground Extra High Tension (EHT) line of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation has not been shifted from the site, forcing the contractor to delay excavation work for the second track of the underpass.

During a visit to the site of Liaquatabad underpass, this scribe was informed by the contractor that during the digging, water sprung up from the soil, which made his work more difficult. According to the contractor, it took one and a half month to drain out the water from the soil of the underpass and starting the actual work. He says the development work is going on round-the-clock and over 700 labourers are working in construction work of the underpass.

When asked about the expected date of completion of the one-side of the Liaquatabad underpass, the contractor was confident enough to say that traffic would start plying from the underpass by August 10.

He says that the construction work would only be stopped during rain and as soon as it stops, the work would resume again. He says that with the help of sophisticated pumps, having capacity to drain 1,200 gallons of water per minute, the rainwater at the underpass would be drained out.

However, it is hoped that after completion of work on the one track, the work on the second track would be started soon. The city would definitely present a new look after the completion of all the underpasses and fly-over on the corridor from SITE to Karsaz road, as well as in saving travel time and fuel consumption for motorists.

For sure, the city Nazim should take public into confidence regarding the delay in construction work and reasons behind it; otherwise, after July 9 (the scheduled date of completion of Liaquatabad underpass) people would start questioning the veracity of the Nazim’s claim.

Presently, people are praising the city Nazim for his performance but he should keep this fact in mind that any further delay in any of the development project can change public opinion.


http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=12490

It has been 3 and a half months, and the contractor said the work would be completed by August 10, while the Mayor/Nazim said that the Underpasses would be constructed in a record 4 months.

It would be better if he himself would explain the situation as to why it is taking that long.

Agreed

KARACHI, June 24: The 20-year-old dream of allottees of Lyari Housing Scheme-42 finally materialised with the award of allotment letters of their plots.

Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan gave away allotment orders at a ceremony, organized by the Lyari Development Authority here on Friday. The scheme was conceived in 1984-85.

The governor pointed out that under the National Housing Policy, the President had issued directives to all the provinces for launching housing schemes and Sindh is the first province which took a lead under this policy and activated the Malir Housing Scheme, lying dead for years, the 30-year old Taisar Town Housing Scheme and Surjani Housing Scheme.

He said all these schemes and Scheme-33 which comprises 137 housing societies with thousands of people awaiting possession of plots, finally took off and he is thankful to Almighty Allah.

He specially felicitated the Lyari Development Authority and its chief for his day and night efforts and said with their efforts work has reached its completion.

The governor said it was the mission of the government to carry all the basic facilities to people and which is their right.

He congratulated over 30,000 allottees of this scheme which, he said, is now fast heading towards its completion.

Dr Ibad referred to problem of water supply and said K-III project is the only mega project of Pakistan which was completed three month ahead of schedule in March 2006.

He said that the City nazim, Mustafa Kamal, has accepted a proposal for direct supply of water for this scheme from Hub reservoir and work on laying of exclusive line would start soon.

The governor acknowledged the Master Plan for the city being prepared and said it could be compared with MPs of world's most developed cities and it would certainly be implemented to bring Karachi at par with international cities of the world.

He said Mustafa Kamal is working to provide boost to the economy of Pakistan and congratulated him for the manner in which he conceived mega projects in a short period and which are now heading towards completion.

Earlier addressing the ceremony, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal referred to the fast development taking place in the city and said within two to three years, Karachi would emerge as a totally changed city.

He said that not only new projects have been launched but very old projects have also been taken in hand and being implemented.

He said the projects initiated six months back are reaching the completion stage which would provide unforgettable relief and facilities to people.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Shafiqur Rehman Paracha said it is a scheme about which people were in doubts and suspicion but today it seems to be heading towards success.

Mr Paracha said this day of hope would not have been possible without the guidance provided by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad who held dozens of meeting to re-energise this scheme and in every meeting his assertion had been that the promise made to allottees must be fulfilled.

Similarly, he said, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, soon after take over, visited this scheme and so was Advisor Waseem Akhtar who visited the scheme many times, issued orders for removal of encroachments and held several meetings for expediting the work.

He informed that this scheme was launched in 1984 by KDA and at that time 30,000 plots were allotted through ballot and 2000 plots later in 1997.

He said this scheme envisages a total of 45,380 plots which also include plots of Lyari Expressway Resettlement Project and Karachi Press Club Housing Scheme.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/25/local1.htm

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday banned the registration of 2-stroke rickshaws, saying the ruling would take effect from next year.

The ban falls under section 45-(B), Sub-Section (i) of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965, according to a notification order issued here on Saturday. The order stipulates that engines of already registered 2-stroke vehicles be converted into 4-stroke by June 30, 2007. After this date, they would not be permitted on the province’s roads. An official Sindh government release said that Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Labour Minister Adil Siddiqi, as well as the provincial law minister and chief secretary had all approved the provincial-wide ban.

Both the Excise and Taxation secretary and the DIG traffic have been directed to ensure the ban’s enforcement. Earlier, in its May 2003 order, the Supreme Court had directed all four provinces to take effective measures to control the emission of smoke and noise from rickshaws, stressing their negative impact on peoples’ health.

In compliance with the SC order, the Punjab government banned 2-stroke rickshaws on January 1, 2005, while ordering that all registered vehicles be converted to 4-stroke.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\25\story_25-6-2006_pg12_3

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Saturday banned the registration of 2-stroke rickshaws, saying the ruling would take effect from next year.

The ban falls under section 45-(B), Sub-Section (i) of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965, according to a notification order issued here on Saturday. The order stipulates that engines of already registered 2-stroke vehicles be converted into 4-stroke by June 30, 2007. After this date, they would not be permitted on the province’s roads. An official Sindh government release said that Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Labour Minister Adil Siddiqi, as well as the provincial law minister and chief secretary had all approved the provincial-wide ban.

Both the Excise and Taxation secretary and the DIG traffic have been directed to ensure the ban’s enforcement. Earlier, in its May 2003 order, the Supreme Court had directed all four provinces to take effective measures to control the emission of smoke and noise from rickshaws, stressing their negative impact on peoples’ health.

In compliance with the SC order, the Punjab government banned 2-stroke rickshaws on January 1, 2005, while ordering that all registered vehicles be converted to 4-stroke.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\25\story_25-6-2006_pg12_3

should just ban them now that is too long time limit at least one more year of dam smoke !!! :bash: :scouserd:

KARACHI: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, for the first time in city’s history, under “Goth infrastructure development fund” has allocated Rs three billion for the development and rehabilitation of goths of Karachi.

On the occasion of preparation of CDGK budget 2006-07, city Nazim had called for special projects for providing basic facilities to rural population of Karachi whereby more than Rs 300 million would be spent on roads, streets, water and laying of sewerage lines in Goths.

Mustafa said a Polytechnic Institute would be built in Memon Goth and two hospitals on the pattern of Abbasi Shaheed hospital would be set up in Rehri and Gadap Town with upgradation of dispensaries in Usman Goth, Bin Qasim, Ibrahim Hyderi, Lassi Goth, Hashim Goth, Mundhal Goth and Old Thano.

Besides this a cardiac unit each in Gadap and Malir would be built during the new financial year, he said.

The CDGK’s plans include construction of two parks in Malir and Gadap, a model school in Mubarak Village, water course and water tank in rural areas of Gadap Town at a cost of Rs 120 million which would bring 140,000 acres of land under cultivation.

Sources at the CDGK said plans are afoot for construction of a big park on 400 acres near Thaddo Dam for which Rs 20 million would be spent in the first phase.

City Nazim said major part of Karachi comprises of rural population and our approach is that the Goths should have the same facilities as are available to urban areas.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=12765

KARACHI, June 26: The city government has allocated Rs15.1 billion in the budget for more than 64 major schemes. According to the details provided by the city government on Monday, the allocations included Rs9.893 billion for schemes of roads, bridges, flyovers, drainage crisis centres, water supply and solid waste management under Taameer-i-Karachi Programme.

The development works in 178 union councils will incur an expenditure of Rs1.7 billion. This included a detailed study for better environmental-friendly public transport system under public-private partnership Rs500 million, model schools/campus projects Rs400 million, rehabilitation and repair of roads, footpaths, culverts, roundabouts/inter-sections Rs200 million, construction of parking plazas Rs200 million.

The development and improvement of parks will cost Rs150.590 million, various schemes of community citizens boards Rs150 million, Karachi Medical and Dental College Rs145 million, Institute of Heart Diseases Rs125 million, purchase of fire engines Rs106.3 million, improvement and rehabilitation of town roads Rs100 million.

For health information management system in Abbassi Shaheed Hospital Rs78.86 million is allocated, Rs43.5 million for purchase of a lithotripsy machine for the same hospital, a fund of Rs35 million is earmarked for purchase of medical/ electrical equipment and ventilators for ICU of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, while Rs60 million are earmarked for healthcare facilities in rural areas/goths of Karachi.

A fund of Rs100 million is tagged for housing schemes for city government employees, Rs88.5 million for uplift schemes as suggested by female city councillors, Rs30 million for construction of 4000-Road and Rs30 million for Aiwan-i-Riffat. Rs80 million would be spent on rehabilitation and upgrading of the Banaras Interchange, Rs60 million for construction of road in Azeempura, Rs66.69 million for citizens’ complaints and information system, and Rs50 million for construction of Maulana Shaukat Ali Road.

For establishing a city diagnostic centre Rs40 million are tagged, while Rs40 million are earmarked for repair, improvement and widening of Greeks Village-Hawksbay Road, Rs30 million for electrification of major roads and Rs30 million for construction, repair and betterment of rainstorm drains and nullahs.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/27/local18.htm

Three major underpass projects facing delays
Nazim’s deadline may not be honoured as contractors face many problems

By Fasahat Mohiuddin

KARACHI: Three major city underpasses may be delayed despite the strict deadline set for them by the city Nazim. The contractors may have accepted the deadlines under orders of the Nazim, but the myriad of problems that they are facing have made them realize that such a task may not be attainable.

The Gharibabad underpass is expected to be completed by July 31, say officials. At present 55 per cent of the work has been completed. But there are fears that the project would not be opened to the public on time.

The cost of the Gharibabad project is Rs160 million. It has a length of 600 meters and will be 13 meters wide, allowing for three traffic lanes. The Gharibabad underpass starts from Rukunuddin Square and ends at Ishaqbabad. Insiders said while the construction is in progress, the contractors have had been confronted with several problems.

The biggest headache has been the cost of steel. After the privatisation of Pakistan steel, supply of steel billets became unpredictable. The second big problem was the shortage of cement. When the work on this project started, cost of a cement bag was Rs275, which then climbed to Rs425. Today, a bag costs Rs325.

The contractor claims that he is bearing the escalation costs. . Explaining the problems relating to the underpasses, one official said that the biggest problem is the 132 KV KESC line and a 42 inches diameter sewerage line, which were not mentioned by the consultant in the planning stages.

Two other water lines of 24 and 18 inches diameter as well as another 15 inches pipeline, a Sui gas pipeline and other cables have also crossed this portion of the road.

Insiders said these problems were known before excavation, through a topographical survey. But when the consultant was asked as to why he did not mention all these utility services in their drawings, there was no proper explanation for the lapse.

If that is not enough, the contractors also have to face the ire of people. They regularly come and attack portions of the underpass when they face a power shortage or other problems in their area.

Delays are also witnessed because of strikes, the Nishtar park tragedy and power failures. It may be recalled that on December 7, 2004, the former Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, awarded the contract and at that time application was also given that this work was not possible in four months.

The work was finally started in 2005 and some of the utility lines were removed like KESC, telephone lines and sewerage. During this period, the Naimtaullah Khan government was replaced in July 2005 and this also affected the pace of the work.

In October 2005, a newly elected city government was formed and City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal was elected as Nazim of the city and here Mustafa took charge to relocate all the utility services.

Over 3,000 skilled and non skilled workers have been hired for this project. Now the contractor has asked to enhance the rate of the contract in accordance with the prevailing rates.

An application has been given in this regard but no response yet from the city government. The contractor says that the City Nazim personally supervises the projects day and night to ensure that they are completed in time.

The contractors to the project, Friends Associates, are also building the Liaquatabad underpass. In comparison to Gharibabad, the Liaquatabad under pass will be completed by August 14, 2006, if all goes well. The cost of the project is Rs350 million. In this project, the inauguration and excavation was started in March, 2006 and in its first ten days, 80 percent excavation was done.

During the excavation, there was a big challenge, say the contractors, when water started gushing out from the 29 feet excavation and this has caused a delay of one and half month

Despite the reservations of the contractors, the City Nazim is confident that the projects will be completed on time. However, another possible reason for delay would be the monsoon rain.

In terms of size, the under construction Nazimabad underpass is regarded as one of the biggest underpasses of Pakistan. This is likely to be delayed for more than two months and the biggest hurdle the contractor is facing here is the supply of steel billets.

Informed sources told The News that total length of the project with dual runways of three lanes is 695 meters and slab portion (covered area is 250 meter ) and the width of the under pass is 9.4 meters.

The cost of the project is Rs350 million and almost 50 percent work has been completed. The work at this underpass is being carried out round the clock.

This project starts from a local technical institute at Nazimabad No 1 and ends at the Larosh Restaurant. When asked that at what time this project will be completed, officials said that keeping in view all the hurdles, this project hopefully will be completed by September this year. The project also confronted with the shortage of cement.

This underpass requires 4,000 tons of steel and the contractors have till date been supplied half of the steel. At present there are nine private steel plants working in Karachi. “Without steel, it is not possible for us to erect or build concrete structures” said a contractor. The second biggest hurdle is the presence of both power and sewerage lines.

The project according to City Nazim has to be completed in 4 months and under this timetable, it should have been completed by July, 2006.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=13073

any updates on that karachi beach theme park wat was to be made at ibn-qasim

Bagh-e-Ibn-e-Qasim, I think it will be completed in a month or so.

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) cancelled a contract Wednesday with Hilton Trans Limited, as the firm failed to run wide-bodied buses within the required time period.

According to a CDGK press release, the transport department of the CDGK had inked a contract with Hilton Trans Limited for running new buses on UTS routes 6 and 7. The department later received complaints about the performance of the company and its failure to bring the required number of buses on roads, besides paying its dues to financial institutions.

The CDGK sent several notices to the company and finally cancelled the agreement. It also blacklisted two of company’s directors Muhammad Arshad Lateef and Muhammad Saleem Rafi for UTS/ transport sector operations. PPI

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\29\story_29-6-2006_pg12_4

KARACHI: The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) Wednesday said that it had decided to set up a modern fire service organization and a well-equipped search and rescue team to efficiently cope with any untoward situation.

The CDGK has decided to set up a fire service organization with a cost of more than Rs 57.7 million, and set up a search and rescue team with a cost of Rs 350 million. Furthermore, Rs 8.8 million would be spent on purchase of small vehicles. The CDGK had bought new fire engines at a cost of Rs 16.3 million, and would set up three fire stations at a cost of Rs 30 million. Two new snorkels would also be purchased. A new department of disaster management is also being set up, for which 22 small vehicles would be given to the fire brigade.

The CDGK has also decided to purchase disaster management equipment with a cost of Rs 650 million. These equipment would be delivered to the CDGK within a month.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\29\story_29-6-2006_pg12_10

karachi: The first tranche of 8,000 CNG fitted buses of Rs5 million each, is expected in September this year, said Athar Hussain, Executive District Officer (EDO) Transport and Communication Department, City District Government Karachi (CDGK), adding that the arrival of 1,000 buses by June was an unpractical statement by an other department of the CDGK.

Talking to The News, the EDO said, “It is not possible to launch 1,000 CNG buses at a time, however, it would be done in a systematic way, say, some 2 to 3 hundred buses will replace same number of old buses and the process will carry on.” He added, “Our main focus is to replace those unfit diesel buses which are polluting the environment.”

Hussain said that the CDGK is planning to replace all those buses which are polluting the atmosphere but this would take some time and there are some inter-related actions yet to be done, however the over all scheme has been prepared.

“We have to set up CNG stations with required standards as the current stations have a pressure of about 8 pound square inch (psi) which is not sufficient because the standard values should be at least 20 psi,” he continued.

When asked about the failure of former CNG buses (green buses), he said, “We last had a bad experience for green buses imported from Sweden and China because the spare parts of those buses were not made available as well as the companies that were given contracts defaulted but we are not going to repeat our mistakes as we will ask for higher qualification to achieve a contract this time.”

He further stated that unlike the past, there would be a back up support (availability of spare parts) for new CNG busses that would certainly encourage the operators of these buses.

When asked about the fares of the upcoming buses he answered, “The CDGK will share a package with the federal government in which locals will also be given incentives regarding fares which will not at least accede the current fares.”

The current scenario of traffic and public transport suggests that a combination of bureaucracy and transporters is keen to resist the entry of new competitors into the sector. Thus, despite favorable conditions and good margin of profit, the flow of new investment in public transport sector is successfully blocked.

In Karachi commuters suffer unbearable agonies and humiliation on daily basis, while traveling in overloaded, shabby, smoke-emitting and dangerously running buses and minibuses they do not need minibuses and coaches any more they rather need wide-bodied buses, as one bus could carry the load of three minibuses.

It is obvious that the Karachiites desperately need these CNG buses as they have been sick of the smoke belching buses which are deadly dangerous from health perspective but they have to wait for further three months or even more if the CDGK delays it again.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=13391

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf has sought a report from Liaquat Ali Jatoi, the federal minister for water and power, and Dr Ishratul Ibad, the Sindh governor, for load shedding and deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi.

Sources said the president had taken strict notice of various reports published in various sections of the press regarding load shedding that caused riots in Karachi. The president directed Liaquat Ali Jatoi, Dr Ishratul Ibad and the authorities concerned to negotiate with the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) administration and inform him about the situation, sources said.

http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\06\30\story_30-6-2006_pg7_17

City govt budget enhanced

By Azizullah Sharif

KARACHI, June 30: The City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, said on Friday that the overall size of the city government budget had jumped to Rs68.994 billion with a total development outlay of Rs47.334 billion after allocations were made for the two development authorities – Malir and Lyari development authorities.
The nazim was addressing a post-budget press conference at the committee room of the defunct KMC’s head office building on Friday.

The City Naib Nazim, Nasreen Jalil, DCO Fazal-ur-Rehman, EDO (Finance) Roshan Ali Shaikh, City Council’s Finance and Information committees’ chairmen, Ms Itrat and Masood Mehmood, were also present.

Terming the amount earmarked for undertaking development projects in the city the `biggest-ever’ in its history, he said that citizens would see development activities on a massive scale, as foreign investors would be spending another huge amount of over Rs55 billion on various mega projects.

“And, if we add up Rs55 billion to the development funds earmarked by the city government, the MDA and the LDA, the overall amount to be spent on development projects will further swell to Rs102.334 billion,” he said.

He added that with the completion of various projects to be undertaken in different sectors during the next financial year, citizens would themselves observe a better change in their quality of life, besides enjoying the fruits of development projects.

Drawing a parallel between the city government’s current (2005-06) and next fiscal (200607) budgets, Mr Kamal said though the size of the 2005-06 budget stood at Rs43.820 billion, the amount was slashed to Rs40.260 billion after revision, which meant that the size of the fiscal 2006-07 year was higher by around Rs28 billion.

Highlighting the salient features of the budget, Mr Kamal said that the 2006-07 budget, which was surplus by Rs121.403million, was a totally development-cum-welfare-oriented budget. Besides, no new tax was levied on citizens, he said.

Announcing KUNDIMEN: cent per cent raise in the salaries of kundimen i e from Rs5,000 to 10,000, the nazim remarked: “Isn’t it an irony that kundimen who clean sewerage lines are paid a meagre salary of Rs5,000.” He said another Rs5m had been earmarked in the budget for the welfare of the families of those kundimen who die during the course of their job.Explaining the concept of introducing community policing system in the city, he said that only those residing in the jurisdiction of the town concerned would be given jobs in the setup, for which an initial amount of Rs20 million had been allocated.

EDUCATION: Mr Kamal said that, keeping in view the importance of education, the city government had allocated 23 per cent of the total volume of the budget, which came to Rs10 billion for the sector.

CADET COLLEGE: The city government will established the city’s first cadet college in Gadap at a cost of Rs320.60m and six other colleges in various city areas, for which Rs250m had been allocated. Besides, Rs400m had been set aside for 36 new model schools, two in each town.

Referring to the city government’s plan of constructing the city’s tallest building named ‘IT Tower’, Mr Kamal said that, with the construction of the building, not only will information technology flourish but around 35,000 people will get jobs too.

WATER/SEWERAGE: The nazim said that citizens had already started getting additional 100mgd water with the commissioning of the K-III project while feasibility of the K-IV project was under way, to get another 100mgd water.

As far as water and road projects in all 178 union councils of the city are concerned, each UC was being given Rs9.5m.

A master plan for the city’s sewerage system was being prepared whereas the textile city will be provided 28mgd water, he said.

HEALTH: Mr Kamal said that Rs3.37m had been allocated for the health sector in next year’s budget, which was eight per cent of the budget’s total.

The projects to be undertaken during 2006-07 include setting up cardiac departments in Orangi’s Qatar Hospital, Liaquatabad No 10 hospital, Korangi-5, PIB Colony Maternity Home, Liaquatabad, Old Thano, Malir, Gadap and Shah Faisal Colony hospitals; expansion of health facilities in Rehri, Gadap City, Metroville, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Sector 14-A, Baldia Metroville-II, Landhi/Korangi, Usman Goth, Bin Qasim, Ibrahim Hyderi/Lassi Goth, Shershah, Kea mari, Hashim Goth, Mondal Goth, Azam Basti, Saeedabad, Baldia Town; and provision of additional 100 beds in New Karachi hospital.

GOTHS: The city nazim said that the city’s goths would be turned into model villages for which a ‘Goth Infrastructure Development Fund’ had been set up.

He said the city’s leprosy hospital and homeopathic hospitals would also be upgraded.

TRANSPORT: The nazim said Rs500m had been allocated for introducing 650 jumbo-size buses in the city in 2006-07 and shortly afterwards, 481 old buses would be removed, he said, adding that the Karachi Circular Railway would also be restored.

INDUSTRIAL ZONES: The city government has started rehabilitating infrastructure of all four industrial zones of the city by initiating roads and streets’ construction work and laying water and sewerage lines at an estimated cost of Rs4.5b, Mr Kamal said.

LIBRARY: About a central library, he said it would be set up in North Nazimabad Town at an estimated cost of Rs100m. Funds for the project would be provided by the Sindh government under the ADP, he said

Source: epaper.dawn.com July 1st, 2006

So the IT tower didnt materialize on the date it was supposed to be inaugurated, but according to this news item, its still on the cards. I wonder why politicians like to make promises of false dates when they cant hold up on their word.

KARACHI, July 1: The city government has chalked out an elaborate programme for the gradual phasing out of insecure and worn-out buses ultimately getting these replaced with 8,000 new CNG buses in the next four years.

This was stated by the City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil at a seminar organised by the International Peace Commission here on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion she said that the federal government was offering assistance in the form of Rs4 billion to help the local transporters to get these buses imported at subsidised rates.

The city government itself was said to have earmarked Rs500 million for the scheme, under its current fiscal year budget to be complimented with an annual allocation of Rs10 billion for the next three consecutive years.

Ms Jalil said that in the next four years the metropolis would finally get rid of atmospheric pollution caused by smoke emitting vehicles.

She reiterated that the city government was taking all necessary steps to contain environmental degradation, with specific reference to atmospheric pollution in Karachi.

Reiterating the city government's strong commitment to provide citizens a healthy and clean environment, she said that it was with the very objective that the solid waste management scheme was being streamlined through the involvement of national and foreign investors. Private sector is being engaged, she said mentioning that the garbage transfer station is part of the very efforts.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/07/02/local13.htm

KARACHI: The ground work including piling for the 24km elevated expressway from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad will start in next two months as all the surveys including topographical and traffic survey has been completed, informed sources told The News.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal elaborated the newsmen on the elevated expressway, the biggest ever project in the metropolis undertaken by any foreign firm. The elevated expressway is being constructed on build operate and transfer (BOT) basis by the Malaysian firm and for a period of one year, the firm would collect the toll tax as per agreement inked with the city government.

An official of the IJM Corporation disclosed that the drawings of the project will be sent to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) for approval. He said that as this is a highly technical process, now tenders would be floated for the firms to conduct soil testing of the specified area to measure the load capacity of the soil.

The official said that after the soil capacity test, the firm would start structural designing and feasibility of the plan, adding that piling would start on different spots of Shahrah-e-Faisal, by August this year. The delegation also met EDOs concerned of the city government.

The local engineers and labour force would also be engaged in the project along with some experts from Malaysia. The project includes construction of 24km long, 25 meter wide expressway having three lanes on each side.

The project costing $225 million, will be completed in three years time. Six interchanges will be provided on the 24km long elevated expressway at Quaidabad Intersection, Star Gate, HIR road Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Hotel Metropole and Jinnah Bridge (Native Jetty).

In the first phase of the project, the feasibility study and designing of the project would be completed in a period of six months. The second phase of the project includes engineering, procurement, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer of the project.

The CDGK will handover to the IJM Corporation, physical possession of the site within 60 days together with necessary rights for the implementation of the first phase. The city Nazim has already announced that the foundation stone laying ceremony would take place on August 8.

http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=13760