The non-provision of funds by the Sindh government hinders development of the country's largest fish harbour and delays execution of master plan for one more year, officials told Business Recorder on Tuesday. "The Sindh government had earmarked Rs 300 million this fiscal year to help develop the fish harbour on modern lines in line with the revised master plan, but funds are not yet provided," harbour officials said.
According to the officials, Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) was tasked to carry out the execution of master plan to develop the fish harbour on modern lines. The funds denial continues to hinder the master plan execution that had to be completed in three years since 2009. In 2008, the KFHA in consultation with National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) had prepared a first draft of the master plan to develop the fish harbour on modern lines. The Nespak charged Rs 14 million for master plan designing, officials said.
In 2009, the Board of Directors of KFHA approved the master plan for an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 billion. In 2013, the KFHA revised the master plan and sought funds from the Sindh government to undertake the long-awaited plan, they said. In 2012, the plan faced the first setback for not getting the approved Rs 1.389 billion fund in that fiscal year and went into limbo for six months. "There is no proper mechanism by the Sindh government to release development funds," officials regretted.
The government had allocated Rs 300 million for the harbor uplift this fiscal year which had not yet been released, pushing the much needed fisheries project to dead-end, they said and also blamed the growing political interferences in the harbour affairs for other problems at the volatile harbour. Once execution of the master plan begins, the KFHA will complete the entire plan in three years. The plan will be completed in different phases. In the first phase, hygienic system, treatment plant and road infrastructure will be constructed, they said.
In the second stage, officials said that five shrimp peeling plants, two big value-added seafood processing plants each on a plot of 2500 meters, two new big auction halls and two fish meat plants will be set up. Besides, a flawless drainage system, utility services and big lights at the harbour for night-time operations will be developed. The fish harbour was first redeveloped in 1991 with the financial assistance of EU and since then there has been no uplift work to modernise many of its facilities. With the passage of time, harbour's condition has decayed and is close to collapse.
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