The Karachi Port Trust plans to develop the western backwaters of the Karachi Port as a "Cargo Village and Industrial Park." This decision has been based on a feasibility study including master plan prepared for the proposed project in 2004.
The western backwaters of the Karachi harbour cover a total area of about 2,590 hectare or 6,400 acres. The Cargo Village and Industrial Park shall utilise 530 hectares, which means reclaiming over 20 percent of the total area of the western backwaters. The Cargo Village and Industrial Park would be located in the northern part of the western backwaters, west of Karachi Fish harbour and south of Machhar and Mohammadi Colony.
This wetland is partly covered with a mangrove plantation, and for the connection to Karachi municipality and hinterland, parts of the colony areas would be utilised. According to the KPT the location offers good approach to Lyari Expressway, ICI-Bridge and shall be connected to the future Karachi Harbour Crossing from Keamari Groyne Deep Draft Container Port.
The study by consultants has suggested a development scheme, which outlines the following main characteristics:
-- Development of approximately 120 hectares (300 acres) of land in Phase 1 and additional 130 hectares (320) in Phase 2
-- A berth of 360 m length in Phase 1, including the access channel connecting with the PIDC-channel and Lower Harbour - Two access roads connecting the Cargo Village with Lyari Expressway/Maripur Road at the north and ICI-Bridge at the east
-- Rail access lines
-- Inter-modal yard to handle block trains up to 800 m
-- Refrigerated cargo facilities
-- Inland Container Depot ICD
-- Container and Bulk Terminals in Phase 2
-- Gate Area, Office Park, etc.
During initial fact finding phase after contract award, the KPT and the Consultant have found the demand determining the characteristics to be considerably changed. Thus, the characteristics have been re-defined as follows:
-- Creating about 960 acres of land within the first phase of development
-- Provision for additional 570 acres of land for future development; this area may initially be used for the storage of insufficient subsoil, which has to be dredged before reclamation works can be started
-- Constructing a "multipurpose berth" of 360 m length near the southern tip of the newly defined perimeter
-- The design under the current Consulting Contract shall consider the following requirements by KPT (but without detailed design thereof)
-- Providing the area for a coal terminal, capable of handling 5 Mio.t/a. This includes two respective berths with a total length of 600 m, to be designed and constructed by the private sector
-- Providing expansion possibilities for the Industrial Park at the reclaimed land
-- Providing expansion possibilities for the Industrial Park or Technology Park at the Colony Area
-- Providing the required area for a Power Plant Development.
KPT Chairperson, Nasreen Haque told APP that since the volume of maritime cargo was increasing rapidly, the Karachi Port Trust intended to reorganise certain facilities and generally extend cargo capacities in the port area.
The development of Karachi Port, especially major projects such as the Pakistan Deep Water Container Port or Cargo Village in the western backwaters, would change both the cargo flow and transport capacity between the port and the inland areas as well as between different port terminals, Nasreen Haque said.
She said changing demands and an increase of cargo arriving at the port of Karachi also required the planning of an appropriate road connection towards the inland areas that would allow for the transport of heavy loads.
However, a connection of the Pakistan Deep Water Container Port to Cargo Village and the Hinterland had only been considered feasible by installing a connection over the western backwaters to the Mauripur Road at the junction with the Lyari Express Way, she explained.
The KPT Chairperson said a precondition for this solution was a bridge with a required air draft of about 65 m and a main span length of around 400 - 550 m constructed over the Harbour Channel between Keamari and Manora. This road would connect to Manora and the future Cargo Village, she added.
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