Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that many mega projects will be highlighted in the meeting, of CPEC related Joint Coordination Committee, including KCR, Keti Bandar, Dhabeji Economic Zone, River lining and mega desalination plant for Karachi. The meeting will be held in Bejing by the end of December.
CM divulged that he has keen personal interest in KCR project. He said “Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) is most important project which I want to give citizens as a gift”. The 43.24 km KCR project costing $1.97 billion will start from Wazir Mansion and cover the areas of Tower, Karachi City, DOCs, Karachi Cantt, Naval, Chanesar, Shaheed-e-Millat, Drigh Road, Drigh Colony, Star Gate, Jinnah Terminal, Johar, Alladin Park, Nipa, Gilani, Yaseenabad, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Orangabad, KBL, Manghopir, SITE, Shah Latif Baldia, Lyari and terminate back at Wazir Mansion.
Development of Dhabeji Special Economic zone will also be discussed with the Chinese in JCC meet. Dhabeji SEZ is being established on 1,530 acres of land with a cost of Rs43 billion. It is easily accessible from National highway as well as Motorway. This project would cost around Rs43 billion.
Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem told the chief minister that the paper work of Keti Bandar was almost complete. It would be a jetty in the first phase to be used for coal export and in the second phase it would be upgraded as a full-fledged seaport. It has wide road connectivity which makes is so important.
Water experts are working tirelessly to prepare the feasibility of River lining from Guddu to Sukhur before JCC meeting. The project, if viable, will be presented to the Chinese. It can help in conservation of water and mitigate the effects of water-logging on the right and left banks of the river where thousands of acres of land is submerged.
