KFHA plans to expand offshore area along sea

Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) is planning to soon acquire around 190 square meters of Karachi Port Trust's (KPT) land that is located north-west of the fish harbour to expand its offshore area along the sea.
Taking advantage of the PPP-led government structure, as ports and shipping and Sindh fisheries ministers belong to the same party, the KFHA is again trying to reclaim the vast area of KPT on a permanent basis through formal channels, sources in the KFHA said.
The KFHA had previously asked the KPT for this area during Pervez Musharraf's government. But, the then ports and shipping minister, Babar Khan Ghori had refused to give the marked area, sources said. There is a possibility of area acquisition by the KFHA, as chairman of KPT is also backed by PPP. The authority through provincial ministry in this regard, will soon make the formal request, they added.
Fish harbour has become congested with increasing boats' traffic, which makes the authority plan its offshore expansion that will also ensure its sea spread farther. The harbour is also faced with the persistent seafood-landing problem because of space constraints. Acquisition of the marked area will help the authority build new jetties and berths there to disburden its increasing load from the existing area, they elaborated.
When asked that on what grounds KPT had refused to give area to KFHA previously, the sources say that the trust had said to build a cargo village there. This is a vast and waste area.
It may be mentioned that the KFHA is preparing the master plan to develop the fish harbour, which needs a visible offshore expansion. The plan is being drawn to build new auction halls, berths and value-added seafood processing units besides prawn peeling and fish meat plants.
About the pollution on fish harbour seabed and accumulated contaminated mud on its shores, the sources say that dredging of about a four-meter depth will be carried out to pull out the decades old filth. However, they are unsure whether the authority will employ KPT's services or hire private firms for this purpose. They say the KFHA is also considering to cleanse the fish harbour from fish trash that stinks the whole area by establishing cemented shops inside the harbour gates with opening outside for fish mongers who presently sit along the boundary walls of the harbour entrance.