Karachi’s Rs2bn SITE upgrade unveiled as Mayor Murtaza Wahab pushes industrial infrastructure reforms
Infrastructure overhaul, recycled water supply and closer coordination with industry aim to improve services in Karachi’s largest industrial zone.
Mayor Karachi inaugurates the Rs2 billion infrastructure rehabilitation project in the SITE industrial area.
Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab has launched a Rs2 billion SITE infrastructure rehabilitation project aimed at improving roads, utilities and industrial facilities in one of Pakistan’s largest manufacturing hubs. Speaking during a visit to the SITE Association of Industry, the mayor called for stronger coordination between the association, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the Commissioner’s Office to address long-standing challenges facing industries.
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Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi also attended the meeting, where officials presented progress on the ongoing three-phase Grant-in-Aid development programme being implemented by the SITE Association of Industry. The mayor urged stakeholders to accelerate work so completed projects could support requests for additional government funding for future infrastructure development.
Recycled water project to support industries
Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced that the 35-million-gallons-per-day (MGD) secondary treated water project at TP-1 is ready for industrial use, with trial operations expected to begin within the next 10 days. He said the project will initially supply water with a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) level of 1,800.
He added that a one-MGD tertiary treatment pilot project, capable of reducing TDS levels to around 500, is expected to become operational by the end of August. According to the mayor, the initiative will help industries meet environmental standards while addressing the area’s long-standing shortage of industrial processing water.
He also said Karachi plans to make 100 MGD of treated water available to industries by the end of the year, subject to tertiary treatment before industrial use.
Proposal for SITE Development and Management Company
During the meeting, representatives of the SITE Association proposed establishing a SITE Development and Management Company (SITE-DMC) to oversee infrastructure maintenance and development, similar to existing industrial management companies operating in Korangi, Landhi, North Karachi and Federal B Area.
The mayor supported further discussions among stakeholders, encouraging participants to present the proposal with consensus and practical recommendations. He also proposed holding monthly coordination meetings with the association to resolve industrial issues more efficiently.
Industry leaders seek long-term infrastructure solutions
SITE Association President Abdul Rehman Fudda welcomed the mayor and highlighted several concerns, including infrastructure maintenance, encroachments, municipal taxation issues, debris removal and shortages of firefighting personnel. He urged city authorities to help resolve these challenges.
Patron-in-Chief Zubair Motiwala reiterated the need to establish the SITE-DMC, arguing that it would improve infrastructure management without imposing additional financial pressure on the government. He also called for the construction of a Karachi bypass to reduce heavy traffic passing through the industrial area and suggested using Infrastructure Development Cess funds to finance the project.
SITE Association Patron Saleem Parekh thanked the Sindh government for releasing the allocated development funds and said utility providers had been engaged to inspect water supply lines and repair leakages during road rehabilitation work. He also called for dedicated maintenance funding to preserve roads and infrastructure after project completion.
Rs2 billion project targets six-month completion
Following the meeting, Mayor Karachi and Commissioner Karachi formally inaugurated the infrastructure development and rehabilitation project at the Siemens Roundabout in SITE.
The initiative forms part of the Sindh government’s Rs9.282 billion Grant-in-Aid programme for Karachi’s seven industrial estates. Of that allocation, Rs2 billion has been earmarked for infrastructure improvements in the SITE industrial area, with the rehabilitation project expected to be completed within six months.
