Motiwala suggests to utilize Infrastructure Development Cess for the construction of Bypass:
Karachi: Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab has stressed the need of working as a team and enhancing coordination between S.I.T.E. Association and Mayor Karachi and Commissioner Karachi offices to sort out issues facing the industry. He was addressing members of S.I.T.E. Association of Industry on the occasion of his visit. Commissioner Karachi Division Syed Hassan Naqvi was also present on the occasion.
On this occasion, a comprehensive presentation was given to the Mayor Karachi and Commissioner Karachi on the on-going grant-in-Aid project, which comprises 3 phases. The Project is being executed by the S.I.T.E. Association of Industry.
The Mayor Karachi stressed the need to expedite work on the current Grant-in-Aid project and complete the projects on time so that more funds are requested & recommended to the government for the development works in S.I.T.E. industrial area.
On S.I.T.E. Association’s proposal of formation of S.I.T.E. Development & Management Company, at the pattern of Korangi, Landhi, North Karachi and Federal B area industrial areas DMCs, to take care of infrastructure development & maintenance of S.I.T.E. industrial area, the Mayor suggested to move with positive arguments in all stakeholders’ joint meetings.
Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced that the 35 MGD secondary treated water project is ready for industries at the TP-1. Test run will be done in the next 10-days. The water quality will be of 1800-TDS. However, a pilot project of tertiary treatment having capacity of 1-MGD to further treat 1800 TDS water and produce 500 TDS water will be ready by end August for use by industries.
He remarked that the recycled water project will not only make the industries of S.I.T.E. area full compliance on environmental-grounds but also resolved the decades old issue of shortage of water for industrial processing. The price and distribution mechanism needs to be finalized on priority basis.
Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced that a total quantity of 100-MGD secondary treated 1800 TDS water shall be available to industries by year end which can be used for industrial purposes after tertiary treatment, reducing TDS to acceptable levels.
In response to a question from Zubair Motiwala, the Mayor Karachi said that water is available at HUB Dam and the project of laying of dedicated water line from HUB Dam to S.I.T.E. area needs to be discussed further to remove bottlenecks.
Barrister Murtaza Wahab suggested monthly coordination meetings with S.I.T.E. Association of Industry to sort out the issues being faced by the industries which was welcomed by the participants.
Earlier, S.I.T.E. President Abdul Rehman Fudda welcomed the Mayor Karachi and Commissioner Karachi to the Association for meeting and presentation on roads projects being undertaken by the Association.
He drew the attention of the Mayor Karachi towards formation of S.I.T.E.-DMC, collection of taxes by Town Municipal Corporations from S.I.T.E. area despite having no jurisdiction, encroachments in S.I.T.E. area and removal of debris from S.I.T.E. area and other related issues and requested him to play his role in the resolution of the same. He also drew attention of the Mayor towards shortage of Fire Station staff and requested to provide 4 Fire Drivers and 4 Fireman on priority to S.I.T.E. Association Fire Station.
Patron-in-Chief Zubair Motiwala thanked the Mayor Karachi and Commissioner Karachi for sparing time for the meeting. He stressed the need for formation of S.I.T.E.-DMC and said that S.I.T.E. Karachi can be easily separated from the ambit of S.I.T.E. Limited as there is no land remaining in the industrial area for selling rather, there is a huge responsibility to maintain the existing infrastructure. Exit of S.I.T.E. Karachi from the ambit of S.I.T.E. Limited will put no extra financial burden on the government kitty. He suggested that construction of roads & improvement of infrastructure should be done simultaneously with the formation of S.I.T.E.-DMC.
He requested the Mayor Karachi to look into the matter of construction of Bypass for Karachi which is vital to lower the burden of heavy traffic load on S.I.T.E. area roads quoting that Karachi is the only port-city with no bypass. Zubair Motiwala suggested to utilize Infrastructure Development Cess funds for the construction of bypass.
Patron Saleem Parekh of S.I.T.E. The Association of Industry thanked the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah for release of the full amount of funds. He appreciated the role of Chief Minister Sindh, Mayor Karachi and Commissioner Karachi for the release of grant-in-aid to the Association.
He said that the Association has already contacted utilities service providers of S.I.T.E. area and informed the Mayor that during the work, the KWSC lines shall also be checked for the purpose of repair of leakages. Saleem Parekh stressed the need to earmark funds for the maintenance of roads and other infrastructure. His request was endorsed by other participants of the meeting.
Vice President Muhammad Tahir Goreja, Jawed Bilwani, Tariq Yousuf, Ahmed Azeem Alvi, Anwer Aziz, Abdul Hadi, Riaz Uddin, Abdul Rasheed, Muhammad Kamran Arbi, Saleem Nagaria, Abdul Kadir Bilwani, Khalid Riaz, Farhan Ashrafi, Hussain Moosani, Muhammad Riaz Dhedhi, Azim Motiwala, Rizwan Lakhany, Aman Naseem, Junaid-ur-Rehman and representatives from DC office and S.I.T.E. Limited were present in the meeting.
Later, the Mayor Karachi and Commissioner Karachi inaugurated the infrastructure development & rehabilitation work in S.I.T.E. area, Karachi, by unveiling the foundation stone, at SIEMENS roundabout.
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, on request of industrialists of Karachi, announced 9.282 billion rupees as Grant-in-Aid for all 7 industrial estates of Karachi.
Out of this, PKR 2 billion funds were provided to S.I.T.E. Association of Industry for infrastructure development & rehabilitation work in S.I.T.E. area.
Mayor Karachi and Commissioner Karachi along with Zubair Motiwala, Saleem Parekh, Jawed Bilwani, Tariq Yousuf, Abdul Rehman Fudda and others formally inaugurated the project. The project is expected to be completed in 6 months