KARACHI: Karachi mayor road rehabilitation Sohrab Goth work began this week, and it is the first visible step in a much bigger plan to fix the city roads. Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Thursday launched a 418.6 million rupee road rehabilitation project in Sohrab Goth, covering four major road schemes under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation 140 road development programme. The work is part of efforts to improve infrastructure and ease commuting difficulties in an area where broken roads have troubled residents for years.
The project itself is specific, and the foundation stone was laid for the rehabilitation of Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi Road, running from Jamali Bridge on the Super Highway to Ayub Goth along the Lyari River, under Package 06 in Gulzar-e-Hijri, Scheme 33, Sohrab Goth Town. The scheme also includes laying 5464 running feet of 24 inch and 12 inch sewerage pipelines and installing 10800 running feet of kerbstones. Roads and drains are being fixed together, so the new surface does not wash away with the first rain, and that is a lesson the city has learned the hard way.
The Sohrab Goth work is one piece of a city wide programme, and the Karachi 140 roads rehabilitation Rs13 billion plan covers the whole of Karachi. The Murtaza Wahab Karachi mayor KMC development programme will start construction and rehabilitation of around 140 roads across the city within the next two to three days, at an estimated cost of 13 billion rupees. The mayor said development projects were under way in all seven districts without discrimination, and he added that major infrastructure projects were being executed through KMC own resources.
The money behind the programme is large, and the KMC development budget Rs68 billion Karachi figure shows how much the corporation plans to spend this year. The mayor said KMC had planned to spend 68 billion rupees to 70 billion rupees on development schemes during the current financial year, and he expressed the hope that the projects would reach completion by June, when the current local government term is scheduled to end. The mayor, deputy mayor, town chairmen and union committee chairmen are working together to complete the ongoing schemes, according to the corporation.
Water is part of the same story, and the Karachi K-III pipeline Lyari water supply project is a good example. The mayor said construction of the 10 million gallon per day elevated K-III pipeline had been completed to improve supplies to Lyari and prevent water theft, and pipeline testing would be conducted within seven to eight days before its formal inauguration. He also announced that approval had been granted for a water connection to address shortages in Sohrab Goth, with the connection expected to be provided within two days. For residents who queue for water, those two days cannot come soon enough.
Other big projects are moving too, and the Chakor Nala Expressway Karachi Rs1 billion scheme is nearing completion. The mayor said the expressway, being built at a cost of around 1 billion rupees, was expected to open within 30 to 35 days, and it would significantly reduce travel time for commuters heading towards Gulistan-i-Jauhar. A new flyover on Garden Nishtar Road, also costing around 1 billion rupees, has its groundbreaking planned by 20 November, with construction targeted for completion within 100 days. The new block of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, covering 200000 square feet, has also been completed, with outpatient services expected to begin within the week.
Not everyone is convinced, and the opposition in the City Council has raised questions about the pace and quality of the work. Opposition Leader Advocate Saifuddin questioned the quality, transparency and pace of the projects, and he demanded a detailed account of development funds and incomplete schemes. He cited the Hub Canal, reportedly built for 12 billion rupees, which he claimed developed cracks and suffered damage just three days after its inauguration, and he raised questions about a section of the K-III water pipeline which he claimed had collapsed during installation. Those are his claims, and they have not been independently verified.
The mayor answered the criticism by pointing to the work on the ground, and he said the city was witnessing development without political discrimination. He urged the town municipal corporations, especially those controlled by the opposition Jamaat-i-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, to work alongside the city government rather than make excuses about limited powers and funds. The war of words shows that development in Karachi is never just about roads and pipes, and every project is also judged in the council chamber.
Readers should keep one point in mind as they follow this programme. The completion dates given here are the mayor targets, not guarantees, and the 140 road programme will only matter if the roads are finished and stay in good shape. The opposition claims about cracks and collapses are attributed to the opposition leader and have not been verified, so they should be read as part of the debate, not as settled fact. For the people of Sohrab Goth, the test is simple, and it will come when they drive on the new road and turn on the tap.
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