KARACHI: Federal and Sindh governments will undertake the restoration and revamping of Lyari and Malir rivers with associate tributaries at the cost of Rs8 billion.
The project is a part of the Karachi Transformation Plan, approved by the federal government to revamp and improve the civic infrastructure in Karachi.
The project has been approved recently by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).
According to official documents of the project, the project would be completed in six to twelve months subject to the effects of monsoon season and timely release of funds and removal of encroachments.
During the monsoon of the year 2020, Sindh faced seven spells of moderate to heavy rains. These heavy rains affected several districts of Karachi.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Karachi received the heaviest rain in a single day ever in its history. The rain played havoc in the city as most of the areas were submerged with rainwater.
Similar situation was witnessed in the catchment areas of Lyari and Malir rivers.
In view of this situation, the Karachi Transformation Plan was conceived, and it summary was prepared by the Planning Commission, which was approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet in its meeting held on 24-12-2020 at a cost of around Rs739 billion.
The decision of the ECC was ratified by the federal cabinet on 29-12-2020. A coordination committee on federal development projects in Sindh, comprising Sindh CM with two provincial ministers and three federal ministers as its members, was constituted by the government of Sindh on 20-08-2020.
A provincial coordination and implementation committee (PCIC) was constituted on 15-09-2020 under the chairmanship of Sindh CM with representation of the federal government.
The PCIC in its fourth meeting held on 28-12-2020 endorsed the Karachi Transformation Plan amounting to Rs1.14 trillion.
Restoration of storm water drains of Karachi being one of the components of Karachi Transformation Plan amounting to Rs165.614 billion aims to mitigate the effects of flooding through clearance of 44 nullahs and two rivers (Malir and Lyari).
The Lyari and Malir rivers, which are 21-km and 50-km in length respectively, pass through some major parts of Karachi.
Sewage is being discharged directly into the rivers, and the rivers are full of silt and garbage.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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