KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday approved construction of a bridge on Korangi Crossing and the Hub Canal rehabilitation project, directing the local government department to complete them within a year.

CM shah gave the go-ahead while presiding over a meeting held to review different development projects at the CM House.

The meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Administrator Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Planning and Development Chairman Hassan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Sajid Jamal Abro and others.

The LG minister said that the Hub Canal project included construction of Hub Canal (canal plus pipe hybrid), water conveyance from Hub Dam and Rehabilitation of Hub filtration plant, enhancing its capacity from 80 MGD to 100 MGD operation, and maintenance of the canal and pipe would cost Rs14bn.

The CM was told that the project would be started on a public-private partnership mode, and would be completed within two years.

He said that the launching of the project on the said mode would take time, therefore, the government would finance the project with the condition to complete it within a year.

The LG department assured him that the project would be completed within a year.

“This city needs water, and we cannot delay water projects,” he said.

The chief minister was told that 65 MGD Bulk Water Supply project would start from Keenjhar-Gujjo Canal to High point, including construction of Gharo water pumping stations and the project would cost around Rs9bn.

He directed the department to start the tendering process so that work could be started in time.

Korangi Causeway

“The existing causeway submerges during monsoon seasons, therefore, people of Korangi and Malir face serious problems,” the CM said and added that with the construction of a bridge, 28 per cent population of the two areas would be facilitated.

The chief minister said that Korangi Causeway needed a bridge. He was told that there were two options for its construction – a four-lane bridge or a six-lane bridge.

Mr Murad said that it must be six-lane so that it could cater to the requirement of the areas for the next 20 years.

The LG department said that the project would cost around Rs5 billion, and would be completed within two years. However, CM directed them to complete it within a year, and ‘start its work on top priority basis’.

The LG secretary said that the life of the bridge would be 80 years, and it would be a 1.6 km bridge.

The CM directed P&D department to prepare a scheme to overhaul the Jam Sadiq Bridge. “It should also be started within the next three months,” he said. The World Bank’s proposed alternate bridge would also be constructed for BRT services.

Seawater RO plant

The LG minister said that a 5 MGD seawater desalination plant project of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board had already been approved and plant would be installed at Ibrahim Hyderi, Korangi.

The chief minister directed the LG department to work out the cost of the project and cost of the water per gallon so that it could be assessed.

He added that if the cost of per gallon production was feasible, more projects could be launched. The chief minister directed the LG department to focus on the water distribution system of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2022