Karachi - Quaid's city is the financial capital of the country, having the largest population and being the highest tax paying city it is also the city with highest number of problems.
Its population has grown to over 14 million and increasing at faster speed. The problems of providing basic amenities are quite serious and complex.
Necessities such as water supply, sewerage, electricity, roads, education, health and entertainment etc are insufficient as compared to population.
On August 14, 2001, when the City Government was sworn in under the new system of local government, there were piled up problems.
The system was not only new it was complex also. But the elected representatives of the people under the leadership of City Nazim Niamatullah Khan started the new journey with full zeal and the problems of the people were solved one after another.
WATER: Karachi needs 640 million gallons water daily whereas it gets 521.1 million gallons daily. Out of it 30 percent as 157 million gallons water is being wasted.
Thus citizens can hardly get 364 million gallons of water a day and the biggest city of the country faces a shortage of 264 million gallons every day.
To overcome this problem, the City Government undertook plans worth rupees 8.5 billion within a short period of two years.
REPLACEMENT OF LINES: The City Government with the assistance of the federal government prepared a comprehensive project casting rupees 12 million.
This project included replacement of 50 year old lines, joints and installation of new pumps.
Through this project some 100 million gallons water would be saved from gaining waste and the situation would remarkably improve.
K-3 PLAN: With the co-operation of the federal government a plan K-3 has been drawn to provide the city with additional water.
This plan would materialise in three years and would cost some 6,000 million rupees.
On completion of this project 100 million gallons of additional water would be supplied to the city daily.
Tenders have already been issued in this respect.
SEARCH FOR UNDER-GROUND WATER: Some 100 years after digging the Damloti wells a project has been undertaken at the government level to search for under-ground water in the city.
It is hoped that this project will provide some 20-25 million gallons water everyday.
SEWERAGE WATER RE-CYCLING PLAN: In view of water shortage in SITE Area an important plan has been started.
In this regard an agreement has been signed with an Austrian company which will invest one billion rupees and recycle sewerage water to make it useable.
After treatment this water would be supplied to units in SITE for industrial use. This plan would provide 20 million gallons of water.
SEA WATER DESALINATION PLAN: The City Government has planed to make sea water potable by desalination.
This plan would be undertaken on BOT basis. Tenders have been issued in this respect. To run this project energy would be obtained by burning waste. This may also help the city in getting rid of the waste.
ROADS & FLYOVERS: Work is in progress on many projects to build on network of standard roads and flyovers to provide citizens with the best commuting facilities.
Moreover rain damaged roads have been repaired speedily. The City Government has so far undertaken work on over 350 important schemes regarding roads and flyovers.
Most of these schemes have been completed, on others work is going on speedily.
Shah Faisal flyover has been completed in a record period of 18 month.
FTC and Shahrah-e-Quaideen flyovers work is being carried out at fast pace. Designs are under preparation for Hasan Squire and Sohrab Goth flyovers. Many intersections have been built involving millions of rupees which include Board Office.
Numaish, Guru Mandir, Nagan Chawrangi, Aisha Manzil, Water Pump, Five Star, North Nazimabad, Banaras Chowk and Jauhar Mor.
Flow of traffic has improved by removing chowrangees and replacing with signalisation at these places.
Mehran Highway project has been completed at a cost 146.4 million rupees. This highway connects Landhi with Bin Qasim.
Reconstruction of many roads has been completed and work on the rest is in progress.
THESE ROADS ARE: Maripur, Sher Shah Suri Road, Allama Shabbir Usmani Road, Shah Waliullah Road 12000 Road Korangi, Hino Chowk to Korangi, Kala Pull to Hino Chowk, Lawrence Road, Malir to Hashim Jokhio Goth Farm to Market Road, Habib Ibrahim Rahmatullah Road, Stadium Road and Marine Drive.
STREET LIGHTS: Along with building these roads arrangement has been made to keep them light an bright.
So far many thousand light have been installed. It can rightly he said that Karachi is once again becoming the city of lights.
TRANSPORT: Transport is a complicated problem for Karachi, as it is in every big city of the country.
ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY BUSSES: So far 14 companies have been allowed to run environment friendly and increased capacity green busses. Out of these five companies have started running 150 busses on different routes.
In the next few years this number would be increased to 2400. Due to this scheme 15 billion rupees would be invested and several thousands will get jobs. Karachi citizens have greatly appreciated this scheme.
MASS TRANSIT PROJECT: With a view to resolve transport problem the other big plan the City Government is working on is the mass transit based on train. Under this project 9 kilo metre long latest rail system would be started.
It will have six corridors ie 18 kilo metre long Sohrab Goth to Tower, 12 kilo metre long Orangi to Cantt, 17 kilo metre long New Karachi to Sher Shah, 23 kilo metre long Karachi City Station to Landhi, Nagan Chowrangi to Korangi and Baldia Town to Cantt.
This facility would benefit one million people. Six international companies have shown interest in this scheme. Tenders have already been issued to them.
This scheme is expected to draw investment of 25 million rupees. Such big investment has never been made in the history of Karachi.
KARACHI CIRCULAR RAILWAY: City Government since after its coming into being is trying to restore circular railway. Pakistan Railways had shut down Karachi Circular Railway on December 18, 1999.
Railways claimed it was losing five to six million rupees per annum on this facility. The Feasibility Report for its restoration is ready. Karachi Circular Railway would be run by private sector.
HEALTH: City Government gives top priority to education. Despite increase in budget volume 40 percent of it has been allocated to education.
An example to be followed by the whole country.
Karachi Medical and Dental College, attached to it an under graduate & post graduate training institute, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, other various hospitals, maternity home and dispensaries are running and the City Government.
By completely changing the ruined sewerage system of the four buildings of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, City Government is completing the work kept pending for the last 30 years. This project will cost 30 million rupees.
City Government has allocated funds to pay stipend to under training post-graduate doctor. City Government is the first among the government run hospitals to take such step.
City Government considering the hardship of the heart patient and considering NICVD in sufficient to meet the ever increasing needs of the city decided to establish Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases.
This would be an state of the art institution which would also provide training to post-graduates.
This is a big pleasant news for Karachi Citizens. In the first phase 30 million rupees have been allocated for medical instruments and furniture purchase. This institute will enter its first phase and the next financial year.
Anti-rabbies vaccine would be provided at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital free of cost. Funds have been allocated for this purpose in 2003-2004 budget.
OPD fee has been abolished from all the City Government health institutions to lesson peoples' burden steps are being taken to improve conditions in other hospitals, maternity and dispensaries.
Kidney dialysis centres have been established in New Karachi and Korangi hospitals with the co-operation of Noor Foundation UK.
City Government is completing a hospital project in Malir which was abandoned several years ago. A 250-bed hospital has already been inaugurated while 50-bed hospitals have been planned for different areas.
Anti-polio campaigns have successfully carried out through out the city. Now hepatitis vaccine is provided free of cost to the children aged up-to two years.
All the maternity homes run by the City Government have been surveyed with Unicef help. All these maternity homes would be up-graded gradually. Unicef also would provide financial assistance in this effort.
EDUCATION: Despite financial constrains City Government is making all possible efforts in the field of education. Primary, middle and secondly education made free.
Rupees 30 million being spent on providing scholarships of rupees 100 per month to the students of sixth, seventh and eighth classes There are plan to raise funds in this regard.
City Government is distributing text looks among 0.4 million primary classes students at a cost of rupees 30 million.
In almost all colleges of the city computer labs have been set up costing millions of rupees.
Over a short period of two and a half years 22 new colleges have been set up in the city. This is an historical achievement of the City Government and a proof of City Nazim Niamatullah Khan's keen interest in education.
In the fiscal 2003-2004 rupees five billion 170 million have been allocated to education. Thus compared with last year allocation for education has been increased by rupees 270 million, because education is distinct identity of Karachi.
City Government is also planning for an most modern education city of international standard.
This city would be situated between Super Highway and National Highway near Malir Housing Scheme.
Aga Khan Foundation and Baqai Foundation type educational institutions have already acquired land in the said area.
City Government has allocated funds for setting up Women's University in the city, and after completing the legal requirement Sir Syed Girls College would be raised to the status of University.
HOUSING SCHEMES: City Government is planning low cost housing schemes at Karachi Northern Bypass, Hawks Bay and Deh Thesar. It will benefit low-income people, allocation has been already made in 2003-2004 budget in this respect.
RURAL AREAS UPLIFT AND WELFARE: City Government has also some historical work in respect of rural areas uplift and welfare.
The purpose of these efforts is to eliminate the sense of deprivation in these areas and enable the people over there to participate along with other people in city's development and progress.
THE FOLLOWING WORKS HAVE BEE DONE IN THESE AREAS:
-- Thaddo Dam is being built at faster speed.
-- Three-kilometre long road from Hyderi to Fish Harbour is under construction.
-- Building Hashim Jokhyo road in Gaddap Town.
-- Road built from Hyderi to Rehri Goth.
-- Jetty built at Shams Pir.
-- Electricity work completed in three goths including old goth of Orangi and Baloch Goth.
-- Pumps were installed at Hub Dam.
-- Filter plants are being built at Manghopir and Mauripur with the help of Japanese Government.
-- Provision of facilities to Katchi Abadies.
There are hundreds of Katchi Abadies in Karachi. The dewellers of these abadies are deprived of basic amenities. After coming into being of City Government every effort has been made to provide facilities to these abadies.
Kachi Abadies received as much attentions as the development in other localities. So far Katchi Abadi Authority has not been merged in the City Government.
In spite of that every possible effort is being put in for the uplift of these abadies. By giving lease, uplift plans and provision of facilities attempt is being made to eliminate the difference between these abadies and other areas.
Parks have been renovated and thus practice continues.
Plan has been made to built BOT entertainment park Ibn-e-Qasim. It would a good addition in the entertainment spots of the city.
Safari Park and aquarium at Clifton were neglected for the last many years. So these two project have been placed in urgency category and sufficient funds have been allocated for them.
Seaview type searchlights would be installed at Hill Park and Polo Ground to facilitate people.
On City Government's request army is building Askari Park which would be a beautiful and standard entertainment spot.
Sports and entertainment are manifestations of a healthy life. City Government has paid attention to this aspect also. So far many play grounds and stadiums have been developed.
The ground project of Women's Sports Complex has been completed. Many sports contests were organised at city level.
Lyari Football Stadium has been completed at a cost of rupees 7.2 million. Inside the stadium a sports field measuring 8,800 squire feet of international standard has been built.
An international standard entertainment park, cricket and football academy is being built at Kashmir Road Complex.
KARACHI DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME: To improve the basic facilities a package of 29 billion rupees was approved in principle on August 25, 2003. Karachi Building Programme was okayed in a high level meeting in Karachi presided by President General Pervez Musharraf, which includes many civic amenities' reconstruction. But Karachi Circular Railway is not a part of there of.
City District Government has promised to pay six billion rupees, remaining 23 billion rupees will be provided by Government of Sindh and other stakeholders including KPT, Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan Railways, NLC, Export Processing Zone, Part Qasim Authority, Pakistan Steel, PIA and others.
Some of these projects would be completed within a year, some in two years, mid-term projects in three years and long-term four years or more.
As a result of July 2003 rains Karachi roads, bridges and flyovers were heavily damaged, 40 percent of sewerage system of the city is already ruined.
Under the package over 1,000 kilo metre system is to be built and repaired and includes extension of 500 kilometres.
Under Karachi Building Programme rupees 200 million would be spent on master plan preparation over 9.11 billion rupees on uplift of rivers and Nalas, fourth billion rupees water supply system's repair and expansion, four billion on construction and repair of roads and bridges, 11.63 billion on solid waste management 1.5 billion rupees.
Under the package flyover would be built on six chowrangees of the city which include Hino Chowk, River Malir, Korangi to Qayyumabad, Shah Faisal Colony to Korangi, Quaidabad, Sohrab Goth, and Hasan Square. Under this programme rain hit roads were repaired.
CLEANLINESS DRIVE: To remove rain damages cleanliness campaign was carried from August 4-14, 2003. City Nazim Naimatullah Khan inaugurated the campaign.
During the campaign roads and streets were repaired, rain water was drained out, waste was removed, sewerage lines were repaired, manhole were covered chalking was removed, flies and mosquitoes were sprayed, trees were planted on large scale and medical camps were set up in Katchi Abadies.
ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS FACILITIES: Various plans were put into practice to make Quaid's city beautiful and green.
Thousands trees were planted alongside the roads and islands in the middle, these include more than 1,500 date trees as high as 10-15 feet.
Under a natural process at first the date trees dryed up, when rooted properly they turned fresh and green.
To provide citizen with entertainment facilities and to attract tourist. It was decided to beautify 45 kilo metre long coastal belt from Clifton to Hawks Bay.
This plan will not only provide additional income for the government but also create jobs for the people living around. Under the plan 24 entertainment spot will be built on this coastal belt.
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