Sindh govt orders inquiry into Karachi fish harbour uplift schemes

KARACHI: Despite the passage of over ten years, the Sindh government’s plan for the expansion, construction, and improvement of Karachi Fish Harbor has not been completed. Against this scenario, the provincial government has ordered the Department of Planning and Development to conduct an inquiry into the issue.

The project for the rehabilitation and renovation of Karachi Fish Harbor was initiated in 2007 by the Sindh government when the European Union imposed a ban on the export of seafood from Pakistan to 28 countries.

Besides, the EU also delisted 11 Pakistani firms from exporting seafood. The ban was imposed due to poor hygienic conditions, dumping of industrial and municipal waste into the Arabian Sea, poor sanitary conditions at the auction halls, improper cold chain, and poor storage facilities. Against this backdrop, the Sindh government approved a development scheme of Rs 550 million in the same year, for the reconstruction of Karachi Fish Harbor as a short-term measure, which was completed in 2012 allowing the EU to partially lift restrictions on the seafood export.

To meet the international standards for exports from the fisheries sector, another development scheme namely ‘Rehabilitation And Renovation of Karachi Fish Harbor-external Service’ was approved at a total cost of Rs 1.43 billion on July 26, 2013, which was revised to Rs 1.61 billion on November 02, 2016, and then again re-revised on the advice of the Sindh Finance Department with the bifurcation of capital and revenue components at the total cost of Rs 1.61 billion on March 21, 2018.

The execution of the scheme was transferred from the Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority to the Sindh Works and Services Department through a Summary of the Chief Minister, which was approved on September 26, 2018. The supply of water to the Fish Harbour, installation of modern drainage system, installation of CCTV, modern electrification, construction of check posts, construction of iron bridges, and floating jetties were included in the new scheme.

Despite the long period and repeated revision of costs, the project has not yet been completed. Now once again the Sindh Livestock and Fisheries Department has submitted a fresh PC-1 worth Rs 3.35 billion for the project’s completion.

Frustrated with the slow progress the Sindh government on June 19, 2023, directed the Department of Planning and Development to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

The monitoring team of the Planning and Development Department expressed strong objections to the work so far done. It described it as inadequate and recommended the constitution of a high-level inquiry committee for a detailed probe.

The P&D monitoring team in its report described excessive pollution in the Fish Harbor area as a severe threat to marine life. It also expressed concern over the non-operation and lack of construction of sewage plants, floating jetties, and steel bridges.