The construction of a gargantuan oil tanker parking is in the works, said Karachi Administrator Hashim Raza.
Raza said this while talking to reporters after meeting which was attended by a large number of government officers including Zulfiqarabad Oil Terminal Project Director Ansar Zaidi,Pakistan Oil Tankers Association President Meer Muhammad and Pakistan State Oil Deputy General Manager Masroor Qasim among others.
Raza said the facility was being built at a cost of Rs 313 million and it would go a long way in resolving the issues being faced by the trucker and oil trader community.
The administrator said that various works including water, mosque, provision sanitary services and the main parking area had been completed whereas 50 acre were being added to that 1200 acres already allocated for parking terminal project. He asked for the cooperation of the Pakistan State Oil to ensure the early completion of the project and called for a meeting with the stakeholder with whom all the issues relating to the project would be reviewed. Raza further said that the Zulfiqarabad Oil Tankers Terminal would reduce environmental pollution and resolve traffic and other problems which had previously been caused by the parking of oil tankers on the main thoroughfares. The availability of water for the terminal was also guaranteed.
The official declared that 95 percent work on the overhead tank had been completed in addition to 32 toilets and rest areas which would accommodate around 9660 persons. The facility would provide maximum security to the crews of the truck and check posts and accommodation for the police and rangers had also been constructed, said the official.
Minor problems still remain in the programme which would soon be solved through discussion with all the stakeholders of the project. The facility will have the capability to house around 2375 oil tankers at one time and accommodation for over 10,000 people was available. The facility would solve many of the city’s traffic and congestion problems in addition to eliminating risks for the inhabitants of the metropolis which existed due to the transportation of hazardous fuels through the heavily populated city. The venture is being completed with the cooperation of the government of Pakistan and government of Sindh in collaboration with various oil companies.
