KarachI, June 19, 2023: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed the provincial local government department to speed up the work at Malir Expressway so that one portion of the project from Korangi or Quaidabad could be opened by December this year, The News reported Monday.
CM Shah visited the under-construction Malir Expressway a day earlier along with Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Karachi mayor-elect Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Special Assistant to the CM Syed Qasim Naveed and deputy mayor-elect Salman Abdullah Murad.
They inspected the 39.4 kilometres under construction Malir Expressway from Korangi to Kathore. Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Memon, LG Secretary Najam Shah, Project Director Niaz Soomro and Special Secretary Finance Asad Zamin were present on the project site.
The Malir Expressway project is being developed along the left bank of the Malir River to establish an access-controlled high-speed expressway. It will consist of six lanes with three-metre-wide shoulders and a dual carriageway. The expressway has been designed for 100kph vehicular speed on the main expressway, and 50kph speed on its interchanges.
The starting point of the project is Korangi Road before the Jam Sadiq Bridge. It will have an interchange for the Jam Sadiq Bridge at the KPT Flyover. It will cover Korangi and Shah Faisal Colony (Quaidabad), and end at Kathore.
Briefing the CM, Soomro said there were two parts or packages of the expressway project: Jam Sadiq to Quaidabad, where the work has been completed up to 38%, and Quaidabad to Kathore, where 15% progress has been achieved.
The CM was told that the project has six interchanges and six straight bridges, on which work is underway. The CM said that after the project’s completion, the issue of traffic congestion on the city’s roads would be under control.
The project would cut around 40 kilometres of distance for the traffic coming towards Karachi and going out to Jamshoro, and even up to Thatta.
The CM said that after completion, the Malir Expressway project would start a new era of development in District Malir’s areas, particularly Memon Goth and its adjoining localities.
CM Shah also inspected the damaged weir at Razak Goth, RD (reduced distance)-1 of the Malir River. The irrigation department has constructed a number of weirs in the Malir River to prevent flooding, measure water flow, and hold water for agricultural and other purposes.
Irrigation Secretary Tamizuddin Khero briefed the CM that the floods of 2020 had damaged three weirs in the Malir River. He said the irrigation department had prepared a scheme of Rs13 billion to repair and reconstruct them.
The CM said he would arrange the funds for the repair of the damaged weirs, and directed the irrigation secretary to submit the scheme to the planning and development department for approval.
He added that the weirs were most important for the people living along the embankment of the river. “We will give water supply schemes to the villages of the areas, and the water stored in the weirs can be used for the purpose.”
Trash on roads
The CM also directed the district administration and the police of all the districts of Karachi to impound the vehicles found dumping trash or debris from buildings along the roads of the city.
He stressed arresting the drivers of such vehicles and the contractors as well if they are found dumping debris or trash. “This is unacceptable, and I would take strict action against the administration and the police if debris is found dumped along the roads.”
He issued these directives to the commissioners while visiting different districts, particularly Korangi and Malir, and upon finding debris and trash dumped along Korangi Road.
The CM got out of his vehicle and summoned the deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police and the deputy inspector general (DIG) to express his displeasure at the debris dumped along the road.
He directed the city commissioner to issue directives to all the DCs, DIGs, and SSPs to take strict action against the vehicles, their owners and the contractors if they are found dumping debris along the roads.
“I will not tolerate negligence in the matter,” he said, adding that his government is spending millions of rupees on cleaning the city and shifting debris to landfill sites, but people are dumping their trash, construction material and debris along the roads.