KARACHI – The Administrator addressed a Webinar on October 29, 2020 on invitation of Chairman Ikram Sehgal KCFR (Karachi Council on Foreign Relations). He said that the replacing of an elected Meyer brings out lots of expectation not only by the public but also by the Sindh and Federal Governments. He continued that the Karachi is a little Pakistan as its population increases he finds this Mega city with Mega problems and that there was never a dull moment and added that no administrator can ever be remain self-complacent. He covered mainly about waste management, water supply, sewerage and transportation however later on he did touch upon other subjects too and replied to a number of questions for the elite members of KCFR.
He said he is grateful to the Sindh Govt and the Federal Govt for choosing him for such a high lead position to lead a city which actually was a little Pakistan. He said he found the most cumbersome task to undertake was to combat collection of solid waste and drainage from the city streets. He said that he would hasten to add that he was in a great advantageous position because being bureaucrat he found convenient to gain cooperation and assistance from the DCs, Assistant Commissioners and also the Police and other agencies headed by the bureaucrats. He said that he expected the positive result to be seen around shortly.
He informed that some Chinese companies had been given contracts transparently and they have started the job and mostly they are doing it well. However, off and on his staff needed to pull them up for their shortfalls. These were the areas and positioned that he found these companies lacking which were pointed out to them and they were improving by the day.
After that he added that he said his next priority was setting up of supply of Water to the citizens which mainly was by the KDA. He said he would quickly add that in addition to KDA, there were a number of other agencies involved, before the water reached the users. In all corners of the city. Which were DHAs, Cantonments, Cantonment Board, KMC,CDA, MDA etc etc and he was saying it was through a gigantic effort that some improvements have started becoming visible. He continued that while he was the Commissioner of this City, he could conveniently respond to the queries that it was to be solved buy so and so agency or and authorities but now the buck stopped at him and he took on himself to resolve the issues.One thing was the water supply and then it had to be distributed all places where he had just mentioned.
Talking of the transport, he said that city was faced with great transport problems which are now nearing to an end. Soon there would a number of transportation systems like Red line, Green line, Orange line, & Brown line etc. Gradually these BRTs would be coming on road and that first of the rolling stock will be reaching Karachi in 2021, when, he expected that people of Karachi should be able to be a sigh of relief when these transportation systems shall be resolved, though start of some of the lines would take longer but other lines mentioned by him are not far away and shall start functioning by early 2021. He added to that in addition Brotherly country Turkey has proposed a tram-line from Metropole to Tower via Gymkhana, Hotels, to PIDC to Shaheen Complex, onto II Chundrigar Road to Tower. He assured the audience that it shall be a modern transportation system that though a dream yet, but it is expected to come true sooner or later.
He said that water drainage and sewage was a great headache for the City Administration. because primarily the system was very old and then people are very irresponsible in different areas. However, a number of different project had been undertaken to improve upon and laying of new lines are also in hands. He said another project that he was looking into was to make Karachi a walkable city he said he was exposed to different European and South American cities where the city tourists came and go walked around on footpath. And he said tourists especially from abroad when they come they do try to walk but there was no footpath, he said he shall see to it that from main hotel areas to all the way to Saddar and back footpaths should be made soon. He added Karachi city should be made a sports city and that the people of Karachi city will soon see lots of sports complexes with much improvements in the already existing sport complexes, and in addition new will be come in line. In addition, Karachi is a city of Cricket and he will try to improve upon the Cricket as much as he could. Then he added that Karachi Street are hardly marked with their names whenever he drove around and asked the driver to go, he was able to take him there but none of the street had any name, he trying to write the name of the street at as many places as possible. In addition he would be trying to make streets with International names like Istanbul Road, Casablanca road etc name of the foreign city and local as well. He said he was endeavouring to make Karachi a tourist haven and people soon should see huge number of places to be visited when there are holidays and you go across number of road he find it like old city centers in Italy or Spain, he said people instead of going to North will also like to come to Karachi for visiting and tourist and as the tourism increases they should be foreign tourist as well. In response to questions he said he was aware that State Bank with the help of Stock Exchange had lot money for transport on I I Chundrigar Road. He also pointed out that portion of Karachi Circular Railway should get operational soon and whole project would take longer. He thanked Chairman Ikram Sehgal and members of KCFR.
