The committee of experts for evaluation of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed 350 million dollar Karachi Elevated Express Project (KEE) held its first meeting here on Monday at EPA Complex with Director General, Environmental Protection Agency, Abdul Malik Ghauri in the chair.
The committee has been formed under Rule 11(2) of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Review of EPA/IEE) Regulation 2000 to assist and guide EPA Sindh in reviewing the EPA Report for the proposed CDGK project of 25-km long Karachi Elevated Expressway from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad, Karachi.
The committee comprises Shamsul Huq Memon, former Secretary Environment, Dr SM Makhdoomi, Chairman, Civil Engineering Department, Sir Syed Engineering University, Dr Mir Shabbar Ali, Head of Transportation, Civil Engineering Department, NED University, Dr Moazzam Ali Khan, Head of Institute of Environment Studies, Karachi University, Dr Arif Zubair, Chairman, Environment Department, Federal Urdu University Karachi, Colonel Najmul Islam Rishi, Chief Engineer, DHA Karachi, Tufail A Shaikh, Project Director, NHA Karachi, Yusuf Barakzai, Project Director, Lyari Expressway and Northern Bypass, Farooq Zaman Khan, ex-Regional Chairman ABAD. Rauf Akhtar Farooqi, Chief Controller of Buildings and Project Director Taameer-e-Karachi Programme, Sariho, Chief Engineer CDGK and other senior CDGK and EPA officials attended the meeting.
On the occasion, the participants of meeting were given a full-length briefing on various facets of the proposed project, particularly with regard to its justification, alternatives, legal requirements, screening of potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures.
The meeting was told that construction of an elevated carriageway on Sharea Faisal and operation of KEE system might have impact on aesthetics of the micro and macro environment, the same would be mitigated through careful planning, suitable landscaping and adopting appropriate mitigation measures, besides providing a monitoring and contingency plan.
It was pointed out that operation of KEE system, on adoption of the mitigation measures, would have no significant impact on the physical as well as socio-economic framework of the micro and macro environment of its Corridor of Impact (CoI).
It was stated that the project was aimed at achieving the prime objectives of facilitating safe, secure and speedy travel from Karachi Port to Airport, Port Qasim, Steel Mills, National Highway and Super Highway.