Sindh, federal govts to jointly tackle Karachi’s maritime challenges

In a move to address Karachi’s pressing maritime and environmental challenges, the Sindh government and the Federal Ministry of Maritime Affairs have pledged to work together on a series of ambitious projects, ranging from sewage treatment to coastal development.

Moreover, the projects include proposed sewage treatment facilities to be upgraded to enhance capacity, KCCDZ to be developed by CRBD for Business Bay, a high-tech park and a new industry city, a cruise terminal, a desalination plant.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar met at the CM House on Thursday, signalling a new era of cooperation aimed at transforming the city’s infrastructure and protecting its coastal resources.

The meeting included provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon and Nasir Shah. On the federal side, Parliamentary Secretary for Maritime Affairs Dr Darshan, Director General Ports & Shipping Alia Shahid, Secretary Board of Investment Dr Arif Iqbal, Chairman Port Qasim Rear Admiral (retd) Moazzam Ilyas, General Manager Karachi Port Trust Atiq Rahman, and other officials were present.

At the outset, CM Shah affirmed Sindh’s commitment to collaborate with the Maritime Ministry on all upcoming projects, emphasising the need for joint efforts to drive the province’s development.

Recognising the dire need to prevent untreated wastewater from polluting the sea, he underscored the importance of rapidly installing sewage treatment plants throughout Karachi. Murad extended a standing offer to collaborate on every project with the federal ministry, ensuring synergy and maximising benefits for the people of Sindh.

Federal Minister Junaid Anwar expressed his confidence that projects undertaken in partnership with the Sindh government would deliver substantial benefits to the province and its residents. Both the federal and provincial governments concurred on the critical importance of working together to promote sustainable coastal development in Karachi.

The CM was briefed on the Karachi Coastal Development Zone and The China Road and Bridge Corporation. The ambitious KCCDZ project is a joint initiative with the federal government through an existing MoU. This project, estimated at $3.1 billion, aims to reclaim land near Machhar Colony for developments, including a Business Bay, a High-Tech Knowledge Park, a New Industry City, a Cruise Terminal, and a Desalination Plant.

The CM said that the proposed project would not affect any human settlement in the area. It is expected to generate significant employment opportunities, with the feasibility study already complete and implementation planned in three phases across 687 acres.

A committee, including provincial minister Syed Nasir Shah, Mayor Murtaza Wahab, and Commissioner Karachi Hasan Naqvi, will address land-related issues between the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the Sindh government. The Federal Maritime Ministry will soon appoint its representatives to the committee.

CM Shah said the Sindh government is actively installing Treatment Plant-3 (TP-3) in collaboration with the CRBC, alongside plans to establish a desalination plant with a capacity of 50,000 gallons of water daily. The broader Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan (STP-III) is being expedited to tackle the issue of untreated sewage flowing into the sea via the Lyari and Malir rivers.

Upgrades to Treatment Plants TP-1 and TP-2 will increase their capacity to 100MGD and 180MGD, respectively, while a new Treatment Plant (TP-4) with a 180MGD capacity will be constructed in Korangi, specifically treating water from the Malir river basin. An eco-tourism project was also discussed to launch, offering boat tours through Karachi’s mangrove areas.

Relocating the truck stand from the city has been assigned to the committee of the advocate general of Sindh and the commissioner of Karachi. KPT representatives would also be in the committee, and they jointly propose the location for shifting the truck stand and then get approval from the chief minister.