The Corps Commander of Karachi will be looking into material being lifted from the Malir riverbed, which is slowing down work on the Malir Expressway.
Lt General Babar Iftikhar said that the project was important and should be completed without any issues, according to a press handout from CM House Thursday. His team has been directed to resolve the matter.
Malir Expressway came up during the 10th Provincial Coordination and Implementation Committee meeting. It is worth mentioning that the ADB has opened an inquiry into the Malir Expressway.
Who is paying for the Malir Expressway?According to the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, £109 million of private sector finance has been mobilised for the Malir Expressway road project.
The Malir Expressway is going to be an access-controlled facility starting on the right bank of the Malir River between Jam Sadiq Bridge and Korangi Crossing Causeway and ending at the existing Link Road between N5 and M9. It will run along the length of the Malir River.
The project is costing over Rs27 billion and is expected to provide a new southern route for commuters and heavy commercial traffic from the port, Korangi Industrial Area, Landhi Industrial Area, and other such areas going upcountry via the National and Super highways.
The project is expected to reduce the travel time from Jam Sadia bridge to the Superhighway (M9) to 25 minutes.
The Malir Expressway is considered by the Sindh government to be a strategic economic corridor, providing connectivity to Education City, DHA City, and Bahria Town. It is a 3x3 lane dualized expressway with a total length of 38.75 km. The Expressway will have 6 interchanges and 5 weighbridges.
Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon said that the number of people displaced by the removal of encroachments along Karachi’s Mehmoodabad, Gujjar, and Orangi nullahs has gone up from 6258 to 6932. This has happened because of slip lanes, additional cutting, dangerous buildings, and public grievances. This is a 674 person increase. These people will need rental support payments.
The CM decided to include these new 674 names in the list of locally displaced people in the anti-encroachment drive.
The Commissioner said that around 200 cases of ‘change of person’ due to death, and blocked CNICs were pending with the deputy commissioners.
The FWO Brigadier briefing the meeting said that dredging, construction of a retaining wall sewer trunk, RCC conduit, road works, and other works have been completed over 80 percent. The remaining works would be completed for which the government has to provide Rs2 billion.
The CM said that he would talk to the federal government to release the funds so that all the work could be completed before the monsoon. The CM directed the local government department to make nullah cleaning a regular feature.
Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply project director Amir Mughal (from Wapda) told the meeting that the works being carried out by them include:
The meeting was told that there has been 10% progress on K-IV. The CM allocated Rs 23 billion and said that they have to achieve 21% and needed to speed up.
So far Rs 45 billion has been spent on ongoing K-IV works and now Rs43 billion more is needed. The CM said that he would request the federal government to help.
Local Government Secretary Najam Shah said that the provincial government was responsible for developing the distribution and augmentation system, making the power supply arrangements (50 MW), and resolving land acquisition and clearance of Right Of Way (ROW) for K-IV.
He said that the Energy Department would establish a transmission line for the supply of 50 MW power to the pumping complex and the chief minister has already approved a power supply from HESCO.
Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput told the meeting that he has given clear instructions to the deputy commissioners to resolve the land acquisition issues and report to him.
Irrigation Secretary Sohail Qureshi told the meeting that the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KW&SB) had managed the water requirements for the entire city through different sources. Keenjhar Lake was a major sources from which about 1200 cusecs was supplied through the Keenjhar Gujjo Canal, whereas as per the 1991 accord, the share of Karachi is only 600 cusecs.
The Kalri Baghar Feeder Upper off-taking from the right side of Kotri Barrage Head was the main feeding source of Keenjhar Lake. This feeder is 38 miles in length with a design discharge of 9100 cusecs.
The secretary said that currently the Kalri Baghar Feeder Upper carried 7700 cusecs against its design discharge of 9100 cusecs.
The Government of Sindh in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan has launched a new Project - K-IV for an additional discharge of 1200. The secretary said that he has prepared a scheme for the lining of KB Feeder. It has been cleared by the PDWP, and been sent to the CDWP for further action. At this, the CM said that he would talk to Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal for its approval.
The meeting was held at CM House on Thursday and was attended by ministers Saeed Ghani, Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Special Assistant Qasim Naveed, Corps Commander Karachi Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, NLC DG Maj Gen Farukh Shahzad, provincial secretaries, Wapda, FWO.
