KARACHI: The World Bank has agreed to launch $2 billion projects in Karachi to turn it into one of the most developed and beautiful cities of the world.

The projects to be undertaken are meant to improve urban mobility through infrastructure rehabilitation, capacity building of the mass transit authority, to manage all the BRT systems, to improve civic services in the metropolis, to introduce reforms in the KWSB delivery system, waste-water treatment services, and to enhance urban management, including the KMC and all DMCs’ service delivery.

These projects were agreed upon in principle during a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and World Bank delegation, led by its country director Patchammuthu Illangovan, at CM House on Monday.

They also agreed that all legal formalities would be completed within a month for forwarding them to the World Bank board for approval and its all documentation would be completed by early April so that projects could be initiated soon.

The 16-member Bank delegation included Senior Director Ede Jorge Ijjasz-Vasquez, practice manager David Seth Warren, operation manager Melinda Good, programme leader Lixin Gu and transport specialist Said Dahdah.

The CM was assisted by Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Excise Minister Mukesh Chawla, Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah and Adviser Murtaza Wahab.

The projects which were agreed to be started include the Karachi Urban Mobility Project of $400 million; Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project of $1.6 billion and Competitive and Liveable City of Karachi of $230m.

Urban Mobility Project

The KUMP project is aimed at improving urban mobility, especially for women accessibility and road safety. Under this project a BRT Yellow Line corridor, including infrastructure rehabilitation, and BRTS system would be constructed.

The WB country director agreed to take up the project and asked the government to furnish all the relevant documents, PC-I and other layout plans so that it could be sent for final approval from their board.

Referring to the KWSB, the chief minister said there was a need for restructuring and rehabilitation of its entire water supply and drainage system to improve its delivery system, but that objective could be achieved only with WB support. Mr Shah recalled that the WB on a request of the Sindh government had studied the problems of water and had envisaged a plan to provide safe and reliable water and sewerage services and encourage private sector investments in water supply and waste-water treatment.

The WB experts said that reforms in the water board were required in three sectors. First, raising operational capacity for safe, sustainable and equitable water service supply to all customers. Second, the restoration of the water board’s financial stability and, third, governance and institutional reforms in the KWSB.

The Sindh government and the WB agreed to approve the project for which all legal formalities would be completed within a month and the project would be sent to the World Bank board for approval.

In that connection the chief minister formed a committee under P&D chairman Mohammad Waseem , water board MD Asadullah Khan and K-IV PD Asad Zamin to meet all the requirements of the Bank and submit to them the PC-I and other documents.

The CM further said that to make Karachi a competitive and liveable city, he wanted to enhance urban management and service delivery of the Karachi Metropolitan Corp­oration and all the DMCs of the city.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2019