KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during his visit to the under-construction Malir Expressway directed the local government department to speed up the work so that one portion of the project from Korangi or Quiadabad could be opened by December.

The Chief Minister along with provincial minister Sharjeel Memon, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Special Assistant Syed Qasim Naveed, and Deputy Mayor Salman Murad visited 39.4 km under-construction Malir Expressway from Korangi to Kathore.

Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon, Secretary LG Najam Shah, PD Niaz Soomro and Special Secretary Finance Asad Zamin were present at the Site.

The Malir Expressway project facility was being developed on the left bank of the Malir River to establish `Access Controlled High-Speed Expressway’.

It would have a six-lane with three-meter side shoulders dual carriageway. The expressway way had been designed for 100kph speed on the expressway and 50kph on its interchanges.

The starting point of the project was Korangi Road, before Jam Sadiq Bridge, it would have an interchange for Jam Sadiq Bridge at KPT Flyover. It would cover Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony (Quaidabad), and would end at Kathore.

The project Director of the Expressway Niaz Soomro while briefing the Chief Minister said that there were two parts/packages of the Expressway project- Jam Sadiq to Quaidabad where the progress of the work had been recorded at around 38 percent.

On the other package from Quaidabad to Kathore 15 percent progress had been achieved.

The CM was told that the project had six interchanges and six straight bridges on which work was in progress.

The Chief Minister said that with the completion of the project, the traffic congestion in the city would come down. The project would cut around 40 km distance for the traffic coming towards Karachi and going out to Jasmshoro and even to Thatta.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the completion of the project would usher in new vistas of development in Malir, particularly in the areas of Memon Goth and its adjoining areas.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during his visit to Malir Expressway inspected the damaged Weir at Razak Goth, RD-1 of the Malir River.

The Irrigation dept has constructed a number of weirs in the Malir River to prevent flooding, measure water flow, and hold water for agricultural and other purposes.

Secretary Irrigation Tamizuddin Khero briefed the Chief Minister and said that the floods of 2020 had damaged their three weirs in the Malir River. He said that the Irrigation Department had prepared a scheme of Rs13 billion to repair and reconstruct them and sent to the federal government for approval and funds.

The CM said that he would arrange the funds for the weirs and directed the secretary of Irrigation to submit the scheme to the P&D department for approval. He said that the weirs were most important for the people living along the embankment of the river. “We would give water supply schemes to the villages of the areas and the stored water in the weirs could be used for the purpose,” he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023