Sindh, Centre to jointly tackle sea pollution, revive Keti Bandar port project

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Maritime Qaiser Shaikh, during a meeting in Karachi on Wednesday, discussed fishermen’s issues, tackling sea pollution and plans to develop Keti Bandar as a new port.

The meeting was held at the CM House and attended by Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh and Chairman Port Qasim Rear Admiral Nasir Shah. At the outset, the discussion between the two began with the issue of fishing trawlers, which are depleting fish resources by destroying fish seedlings. The CM noted that his government had banned sensitive fishing nets, known as Bulloo and Gujjo; however, the matter of determining which government issued licences to trawlers remained unresolved.

To tackle the trawlers' issue, the CM and the federal minister agreed to form a joint committee comprising members from the Maritime Ministry, as well as the governments of Sindh and Balochistan.

They also discussed the problem of untreated wastewater being discharged into the sea, which contributes to sea pollution. In response, the CM said that his government had initiated the West Karachi Water Recycling Project. The scope of the project includes new inlet works connected to an interceptor sewer, a 35-MIGD integrated wastewater treatment plant, a pipeline for RO concentrate discharge to the river, and a pumping station and pipe network designed for 50 MIGD to supply 28 MIGD of recycled water to industries within SITE.

The CM mentioned that the project had advanced past the tender stage and would soon be awarded. Additionally, Murad Shah and Qaiser Shaikh discussed the installation of a Combined Effluent Treatment Plant, agreeing that both provincial and federal governments should collaborate on this project.

During the conversation, it was noted that Karachi Port and Port Qasim currently handled sea traffic. However, there is an increasing need for another deep port, such as Keti Bandar, to help alleviate some of this load. Keti Bandar Road has connectivity to the National Highway and motorway, facilitating efficient transportation of goods to inland areas.

The CM stated that the Keti Bandar project was initially approved as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects but has not been pursued for unspecified reasons. The federal minister expressed his intention to discuss the issue within his ministry and seek a private partner to establish the port. It was agreed that a follow-up meeting would be held shortly to review the progress of the decisions they took in the meeting.