Jam Sadiq Bridge's PC-I approved, work to start soon: KMC Administrator's assurance to tanners

Administrator of Karachi Rauf Akhtar Farooqui has assured the industrialists to carry out development work in Korangi industrial area very soon despite the paucity of funds. Speaking at a dinner reception hosted by the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) South Zone, for him on Tuesday, Farooqui announced to re-construct the dilapidated Jam Sadiq Bridge very soon as the Sindh Chief Minister has approved the PC-I of the project.
PTA SZ chairman Fawad Jawed, Deputy Commissioner of Korangi, SSP Police Korangi, former Chairman PTA and Vice President of FPCCI Gulzar Firoz and prominent tanners were also present. Farooqui said that massive repairs and reconstruction of the bridge that connects the city to the Korangi industrial area was the long time demand of industrialists and now the work would be commenced in a week's time.
As pointed out by the PTA chief, he immediately ordered the carpeting of link road in the Tannery Zone which was left by the KMC staff incomplete. He announced to repair the Refinery Road which has turned into a very bad shape. He said encroachments on Refinery Road would be removed with the help of the area deputy commissioner and police. He said that despite the fact that the KMC has very limited resources and facing massive shortfall of revenue, it would complete the remaining work in Tannery Zone with its own funds. He, however, said that the water to industrial areas, especially the Tannery Zone, could only be supplied when the government increase the water quota from the River Indus for at least 1,000 cusecs as present quota of 1,200 cusecs could only cater to the needs of the less than half of the population of Karachi. He said that reverse osmosis plants installed by DHA have been failed either. He urged upon the industrialists to approach the federal government to release KMC's funds so that several development projects that have been shelved due to non release of funds in Karachi should be executed.
Gulzar Firoz pointed out on the occasion that people have extended their houses on the link Nullah that connects the treatment plant illegally should be removed otherwise any untoward incident could have been occurred at any time. PTA chief Fawad Jawed in his welcome speech urged the federal, provincial and local governments to rescue falling exports of leather and leather garments by providing water to the country's largest cluster of tanneries.
He said the Tannery Zone contributes over 35 per cent of the total exports of leather and leather goods and its tanneries were starving due to drought like situation for the last several years as the sub-soil water was also depleting fast. He urged the KMC Administrator to influence the KWSB to release water into the newly laid pipeline in the Tannery Zone.