CDWP approves Rs 13.27bn projects for Karachi

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

KARACHI: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved important schemes worth Rs 13.27 billion of the Sindh province.

The projects approved include two 50 megawatts power plants at Tharparkar, establishment of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Benazirabad, Urban Water Supply scheme Nawabshah Phase-V, Study for Karachi Transportation and two schemes of construction/improvements of roads in Hyderabad District (urban) and Taluka (Rural).

The schemes were approved in the meeting of CDWP held at Islamabad under the chairmanship of Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Sardar Asef Ahmed Ali and attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Sindh and his team.

Briefing the meeting the Sindh team informed that establishment of Shaheed benazir Bhutto University Benazirabad in the centre of rural area of Sindh was aimed at providing quality education.

It was pointed out that focus of the university would be the social and basic sciences. The project envisages provision of infrastructure for the University with 10 new academic programmes having total enrolment of 2,000 besides making provision of 52 Ph D scholarships for faculty development, including 19 foreign, 18 split and 15 local scholarships for Ph D involving a funding of Rs 1556.781 million.

The basic objective of the project of two 50MW power plants from Syngas (IGCC-2009) at Tharparkar costing Rs 8898.7 million, is to generate electricity from coal gas through underground coal gasification.

Thar Coal Development Authority envisages exploiting the 175.5 billion tonnes of lignite deposits spread over 9000 sq km of Tharparkar desert.

Under Urban Water supply scheme Nawabshah Phase-V costing Rs 1637.612 million, the scheme was approved by ECNEC for constructing six additional semi pacca storage tanks at Rohri canal water works.

The Taluka Administration had demanded laying of additional 16 MGD water supply line for some residential colonies.

The scheme for study
for Karachi Transportation Improvement Project will cost Rs 370.81 million. The study will be carried out in collaboration with JICA in two phases. The study is proposed to be funded through 100 percent grant-in-aid from JICA except the expenses to he incurred on provision of services by the Sponsoring Agency.

Karachi has an area of 3600 sq km with population of 16 million. Due to rapid expansion both vertically and horizontally, a massive demand of public transport for the commuters has arisen. As such traffic and public transport conditions in Karachi have seriously deteriorated and are aggravated by the consequent swing towards excessive use of private vehicles.

JICA offered to provide technical support to develop Karachi’s Transport Master Plan. The study covers entire area of Karachi like 18 towns, all cantonment areas and various authorities. app