Murad Ali Shah wants Malir Expressway project to start within seven months

Sindh’s chief minister has ordered appointing a project director for the Malir Expressway scheme so that it can be started within the next seven months.

The direction was issued to the chief secretary during a meeting that CM Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired to review the development projects being launched under the public-private partnership arrangement.

The chief executive was informed that tenders for the Lyari Expressway have been opened and the letter of intent would be issued within a week for the financial close. He was also told that the project would cost around Rs30 billion and it would be completed within two years.

CM Shah directed the Board of Revenue to issue a notification reserving the right of way for the Malir riverbed. He also directed his law adviser to seek the permission of the Supreme Court for lifting sand from the riverbed.

The adviser said that an application for the purpose had been filed in the top court but the date of the hearing had not been fixed yet. He assured the chair that he would get the hearing fixed on a special request.

Hub Canal

The chief executive was told that with a population of over four million and a benchmark of 40 gallons per person a day, the estimated water demand of Karachi’s District West is approximately 160 million gallons a day (mgd).

He was also informed that the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board estimates that the demand will rise to approximately 200mgd, and that the district currently receives 5mgd to 60mgd from the Hub Dam and 20mgd to 30mgd from Dhabeji.

It was pointed out that by the year 2020 the West district would have a population of approximately 5.5 million, creating a latent water demand of about 300mgd.

The CM decided launching a project to revamp the Hub Canal. The project pertains to revamping the entire bulk water supply system from the Hub Canal to District West. He was told that the project would cost around Rs6 billion.

It was estimated that the Hub Canal suffers 30mgd to 50mgd of water losses due to major leakages, punctures and losses at various locations, and the project’s major component would be the canal’s repair and upgrade, increasing the capacity of the filter plant from 80mgd to 100mgd, and the pump house’s upgrade.

The chief executive proposed an alternative energy solution for the project. He directed Public-Private Partnership Unit (PPPU) Director General Khalid Shaikh to initiate the project under a public-private partnership arrangement.

Urban roads

The CM also approved four urban road projects for Karachi under a public-private partnership arrangement. One of them is the construction of a four-lane bridge over the Malir River at the causeway connecting the Korangi Crossing with the KPT Interchange.

Another project is the construction of a four-lane expressway on the left bank of the Malir River from the new bridge approach to the PAF gate. It would be a six-kilometre bridge. The third scheme is the construction of the ICI Interchange at the junction of the ICI Bridge and the Jinnah Bridge. The chief executive directed Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah to coordinate with the KPT authorities so the project could be launched.

The fourth project is the construction of a four-lane expressway from Mauripur Road to the Y Junction through the backwater of the truck stand. The CM directed the Board of Revenue to assess the land and report to him so the projects could be started.

Water for Thar projects

The meeting was told that keeping in view the presence of electricity projects to be launched in Thar Block-I and the power plant in Block-II, 45 cusecs of water will be required at the time of starting power generation, and these projects are expected to start operations by January 2021.

The CM was informed that the irrigation department is working on the development of a canal from Makhi Farash up to Nabisar for supplying 200 cusecs, and the canal is expected to be completed by May 2020.

It was also pointed out that the irrigation department has recently received a proposal from a private firm to implement the project of supplying industrial water from Nabisar to Vajihar. The chief executive directed the PPPU to examine the proposal and make its recommendations.

The meeting was told that the canal’s construction from Makhi Farash to Nabisar has almost been completed and only a 65km pipeline from Nabisar to Vajihar needs to be laid.

CM Shah directed the energy minister to personally monitor the work of the project and get it done within the stipulated time, as has been conveyed to the private firms working in Block-I and Block-II.

The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah, cabinet members Nisar Khuhro, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Imtiaz Shaikh, CM’s law adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab and secretaries of different departments.