KARACHI: Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has begun the process of repairing and illuminating streetlights alongside the construction of roads. This initiative will be gradually implemented across all seven districts of Karachi.
The engineering department has been instructed to maintain the streetlights on 106 roads in proper condition and to monitor them regularly. Soon, like the KMC's head office, the streetlights on major roads will also be converted to a solar panel system to ensure they remain lit despite power outages from K-Electric.
In a statement on Thursday, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab emphasized a zero-tolerance policy regarding Karachi's infrastructure, roads, and streetlights, asserting that there will be no compromise on the quality of work. He instructed the Director General of the Engineering Department to form teams that will conduct daily inspections of the roads and maintain the streetlights.
He mentioned that streetlights on major roads in District South, such as Shahrah-e-Ghalib, Marine Drive, Clifton Bridge, Mai Kolachi Road, MT Khan Road, MA Jinnah Road, Nishtar Road, Steel Bridge, and Jinnah Bridge near Regent Plaza, have been fully restored. Additionally, work is being done in phases to repair streetlights on Shahrah-e-Liaquat, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road, PIDC Chowrangi, Agha Khan Road, Garden Zoo Road, Bath Island, Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah Road, Mumtaz Hasan Road, Hasrat Mohani Road, Kacheri Road, and Preedy Street in Saddar.
He said that the Pakistan Peoples Party is bringing back the lights of Karachi, which are an essential part of the city's identity, and assured that they would never be dimmed. The illumination of streetlights would also help reduce street crime and improve traffic flow.
The Mayor has also instructed the Parks Department to illuminate the streetlights in parks and install high-mast lighting poles in major parks across Karachi. He mentioned that the experience of keeping streetlights illuminated at Kidney Hill using solar panels has been successful, and very soon, solar panel systems will be installed in 45 major parks to facilitate their illumination alongside the roads.
Mayor Karachi expressed his desire for KMC to become self-sufficient in terms of electricity supply, managing the provision of electricity for all parks, markets, roads, and buildings independently. He acknowledged that while this target is challenging, it is not impossible and that they would achieve it soon. By using solar panels for electricity supply, not only will the roads, parks, and buildings be illuminated, but KMC will also save millions in expenses.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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