Political interference is jeopardising development of the country's largest fish harbour, as illegal land occupiers began resisting the implementation of Karachi Fish Harbour Authority's (KFHA) master plan, sources said on Wednesday. Fisheries sources told Business Recorder that the KFHA was seeking assistance from law enforcers to vacate the harbour's prime six acres land, which had been grabbed by different groups to run their businesses.
"But pressure from the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is making it difficult for the authority to implement its harbour development plan," they said. They said that the boat builders were also resisting the development of harbour in line with the master plan, as they feared their displacement from the yard and losing of their work.
They said the boat makers were also demanding of the authority to provide them with additional space to construct the wooden vessels as the existing yard had fallen short to their work expansion. "These Wadas [boat builders] are also pressurising the authority's officials through the ruling party to scrape the master plan. They also violate the harbour's rules," they said.
When contacted, the authority officials confirmed that the KFHA was in progress to implement its master plan to develop the harbour so that the global restrictions on the country's seafood exports could be waived. However, they said, despite the authority was under political pressure at present, the master plan implementation would not be stopped at any stage. The authority would request the provincial government to deploy Rangers at the harbour during implementation of the plan, they added.
Officials said that the authority had submitted a proposal of Rs 1.3 billion to the Sindh government to include a portion of harbour's master plan in annual development programme (ADP) of the budget of 2012-13. "The proposal is about a 'significant' part of the entire master plan including construction of road network, laying of sewerage system and setting up of sewerage water treatment plant, water supply system and reverse osmosis plant at the fish harbour," they said.
KFHA has evolved the entire master plan with the help of National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) to develop the harbour on modern lines at an estimated cost Rs 6.25 billion, they said, adding that the bigger part of the plan would be proposed to the government for funds allocation in the next fiscal budget.
They said the authority had chalked out the plan to develop the harbour in phases and in the first one construction of hygienic system and treatment plant has been proposed to protect the marine life. Construction of road infrastructure and treatment plant has been planned to satisfy the harbour's needs, officials pointed out. "These are the key projects which need a priority implementation at the harbour to meet the rising demand of water and facilitate the supply through a better road network," they said.
They were, however, of the view that the proposal for funds allocation in the next fiscal budget was fully depended on the government's seriousness towards the harbour and seafood export growth. "Let's see what happens to the proposal as it is now with the government to consider it for inclusion in the ADP," they said.
They said that the designing cost of the master plan was Rs 14 million, adding that Nespak had carried out surveys and investigation of the harbour, besides conducting sea and soil tests. In line with the plan, officials said, the authority would set up five shrimp peeling plants, two big value-added seafood processing plants each on a plot of 2500 meters, two new big auction halls and as many fish meat plants.
It also envisages sewerage water treatment plant, expansion of RCC roads network, flawless drainage system, utility services and big lights at the harbour for night-time harbour's operations, they said. "There is congestion and pollution in the atmosphere and at the seabed of the harbour inapt space for boats berthing, insufficient infrastructure, and many other problems, which the proposed master plan will solve with its implementation," they said.
Soon after the EU expressed dissatisfaction over the fish harbour infrastructure, boats' conditions and processing plants, the authority felt to overhaul the fisheries facilities on modern lines, they said. The harbour was rehabilitated in 1991 with the financial assistance from EU and since then there has been huge congestion with further indications in its rise, officials said, adding that "therefore it has been felt necessary to redevelop the fish harbour on modern lines".
They hoped the harbour's development in line with the master plan would also help the country get rid of the EU ban on its seafood export which was placed in April 2007 and is still intact, officials said. About the harbour's congested sea area flooded with the abandoned boats, they said that all such boats would be weeded out through auction under the government's process to clear the harbour water for free movement of operational boats.
The major task will be the maintenance of the harbour once the plan is implemented. Now, nobody will be allowed to create disturbance inside the harbour on its soil and sea, they said. The Sindh government is already working on many projects of the harbour including its rehabilitation and boat modification. It has already allocated a fund of Rs 206 million to modify fishing boats in line with the EU specifications, officials added.