KARACHI: The megacity of Karachi also faces ‘mega’ issues and the newly elected mayor Murtaza Wahab should brace for resolving them urgently, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday.
He said supply of potable water to every household of Karachi would be the biggest challenge for the new mayor as ‘tanker mafia’ would not allow it because it earns billions through selling water to the Karachiites and a hefty commission is paid to the black sheep in related Sindh government departments by this mafia, so the new mayor would face the toughest resistance from inside his own party if he decides to take on the tanker mafia.
He said without collecting water bills from the citizens the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) could not be run properly but the majority of the citizens would not cooperate in paying their water bills, and rival political parties would give the new mayor a tough time if he decides to launch an aggressive water bill collection drive. This would be a dilemma for the new mayor and a big challenge for his administrative skills.
Altaf Shakoor said the other major challenge for the mayor is the poor public transport system of the megacity. The Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) has been in limbo for decades and its revival is an uphill task.
The Karachiites would wait and see how the new mayor tackles this grave issue. Besides revival of the KCR, completion of the second phase of the crucial Green Line BRT from Numaish Chowrangi to Tower would also be a major hurdle for the new mayor as the federal government is the least interested in completion of the Green Line system.
He said the megacity needs ban on old smoky minibuses and introduction of new wide-bodied buses but the ‘transport mafia’ of Karachi would offer stiff resistance if Murtaza Wahab tried to ban the old and outdated minibuses.
He said public transport is the game changer for any urban economy and if the new mayor wants to revamp the urban economy of Karachi, he must have to revamp the public transport system of the megacity.
Altaf Shakoor said removal of encroachments is yet another area where the new mayor could also fail like the previous mayors, as all political parties of the city including the own ruling PPP support the dwellers of encroachments for the sake of their vote.
The ruling PPP is blocking the removal of encroachments from the track of the KCR, especially near Kala Pul and Chanesar Goth, he alleged, adding how the new mayor would fight the encroachment mafia is yet to be seen.
He said work on the Southern Bypass a shortest route along the coast from the port to the Superhighway, is a distant dream for the Karachiites but the powerful residents of DHA and Clifton are against this project as they don’t want entry of heavy traffic in their posh areas. He said the proposed Southern Bypass is necessary to ease traffic congestion at the Karachi port and help the urban economy of Karachi.
Altaf Shakoor said revival of crucial projects of Karachi like Pakistan Steel Mills, Machine Tool Factory, and Korangi Fish Harbour is a must for job creation for the youth of the megacity. The new mayor has to fight the federal government and Sindh government to get these mega units revived and it would be a great challenge.
He said if the new mayor, Murtaza Wahab, took steps to initiate proposed Karachi-Keti Bunder, and Karachi-Kotri industrial corridors, he would make his name written in history as these proposed industrial corridors would create millions of new jobs. He said the new mayor should put these two proposed industrial corridors on his priority list.
Altaf Shakoor advised the new mayor to seek cooperation from all political parties of the megacity including his political rivals for the success of these projects and dreams. He said; however, the biggest asset of the new mayor would be his own courage and initiative. He said the Karachiites would hopefully wait, see and test the skills and courage of their new mayor.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023