KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Maritime Qaiser Shaikh, during their meeting, discussed addressing fishermen’s issues, tackling sea pollution and plans to develop Keti Bandar as a new port.
The meeting was held at CM House and was attended by Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh and Chairman Port Qasim Rear Admiral Nasir Shah.
At the outset, the discussion between the two began with the issue of fishing trawlers, which are depleting fish resources by destroying fish seedlings. The Chief Minister noted that his government has banned sensitive fishing nets, known as Bulloo and Gujjo. However, the matter of determining which government-issued licenses to trawlers remains unresolved.
To tackle the trawlers issue, the Chief Minister and the federal minister agreed to form a joint committee comprising members from the Maritime Ministry, as well as the governments of Sindh and Balochistan.
They also discussed the problem of untreated wastewater being discharged into the sea, which contributes to sea pollution. In response, the CM said that his government has initiated the West Karachi Water Recycling Project.
The cope of the project includes, new inlet works connected to an interceptor sewer, a 35 MIGD integrated wastewater treatment plant, a pipeline for RO concentrate discharge to the river, and a pumping station and pipe network designed for 50 MIGD to supply 28 MIGD of recycled water to industries within SITE.
The Chief Minister mentioned that the project has advanced past the tender stage and will soon be awarded. Additionally, Murad Shah and Qaiser Shaikh discussed the installation of a Combined Effluent Treatment Plant, agreeing that both provincial and federal governments should collaborate on this project.
During the conversation, it was noted that Karachi Port and Port Qasim currently handle sea traffic. However, there is an increasing need for another deep port, such as Keti Bandar, to help alleviate some of this load. Keti Bandar Road has connectivity to the National Highway and motorway, facilitating efficient transportation of goods to inland areas.
The Chief Minister stated that the Keti Bandar project was initially approved as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects but has not been pursued for unspecified reasons. The federal minister expressed his intention to discuss the issue within his ministry and seek a private partner to establish the port.
It was agreed that a follow-up meeting would be held shortly to review the progress of the decisions they took in the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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