The city’s streets were flooded on Thursday after two days of sporadic rain. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
The government has conducted a survey of the roads in the metropolis that have been damaged during the recent heavy rains, with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) overseeing repairs on 106 roads, while another 453 roads in various cities will be rehabilitated under the jurisdiction of the provincial government.
The Sindh government has allocated a budget of Rs 25 billion for the repair and rehabilitation of the city’s battered roads. The repair work will be carried out under the auspices of the World Bank-funded Local Government Department’s Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) project.
A spokesman for Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi said a meeting recently discussed the progress of the repair work. Participants were told that repair and rehabilitation efforts will begin soon, with specific plans outlined for each district.
According to the spokesman, the repairs will cover the following districts: 138 roads in District East, 50 in District Central, 27 in District South, 15 in Korangi, 93 in Malir and 27 in District Kemari.
The meeting also focused on the condition of traffic signals on key routes like II Chundrigar Road and Maripur Road. It was decided that beautification plans should be drawn up for both roads, with the aim of improving the aesthetic and functional appeal of these critical arteries.
As part of the traffic infrastructure upgrades, the transport department will undertake the upgrading of 45 existing traffic signals and install 31 new ones. These improvements are expected to help ease traffic flow and improve general road safety throughout the city.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of the much anticipated Red Line and Yellow Line transport projects. These initiatives are key to improving public transport and easing congestion in Karachi. Authorities reported that work on the diversion project at University Road, near Urdu College, is nearing completion. This road diversion, which stretches over 2.7 km, has been planned in accordance with the directives of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. The proposal for this redirection has already been submitted to the government for final approval.
The commissioner stressed during the meeting the importance of integrated planning and mutual coordination between the concerned authorities to ensure that the rehabilitation projects are carried out efficiently and without duplication.
