Sindh budget for the year 2015-16 presented on Thursday promised revival of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) besides five bus transit, two metro rail transit for the mega city.
Sindh Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his budget speech said the Karachi Mass Transit Project with the circular railway, five bus rapid transit and two metro rail transit have been planned to fulfil the transportation needs of Karachi.
He said the government of Sindh would start five BRT projects in the next FY 2015-16. These include the Yellow Line which will pass through Aorangi Industrial Area and terminates at Saddar (Regal). The Orange Line Project connects District West to BRT Green Line at Board Office Chowrangi. The Green Line Project passes through the heart of the city, starts at MunicipalPark (AurangzebPark) and culminates at KESC Powerhouse. The Red Line Project will operate in the thickly populated area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The Blue Line Project starts at BahriaTown and it has two terminating points. One ends at the airport and the other at MW Tower. The BRT Yellow Line project is under implementation in PPP Mode with an estimated cost of Rs 13 billion. Its route is 26 km long, and will facilitate 150,000 commuters per day.
The concession agreement of the project will be signed in this month and financial close is expected to be achieved in three months. “We will start physical work on this project by October 2016. The estimated completion time is 18 months,” the minister said
The BRT Orange line project is being implemented under ADP at a cost of Rs 2.364 billion. It is 4.7 km long and will facilitate 50,000 daily commuters. “We have kept the entire allocation for the project in next year’s ADP. It is expected to commence in August 2016. The BRT Green Line Project will cost Rs. 16 billion and will be funded by the federal government. It is a 21 km long corridor and will facilitate over 400,000 daily commuters. The project execution is expected from July 2015,” he added.
The federal government has promised to complete this project in one year; however, the entire allocation has not been kept in the federal PSDP of 2015-16. “We are following this up with the federal government. The BRT Red Line Project will be implemented through ADP at an estimated cost of Rs 15 billion.”
This project is expected to be funded through 85 per cent loan from China and 15 per cent contribution of the government of Sindh for which Rs 2 billion have been allocated in FY 2015-16. This corridor is 22 km long and will facilitate 350,000 commuters each day. “We hope to start the project in the next FY and commission it in the year 2017. The Blue Line project will be implemented under PPP mode as BRT, but will be convertible to MRT. Its corridor is 54 kms long and will facilitate 357,000 per day. It is expected to be executed from December 2015 to May 2017. An amount of Rs 10 billion is allocated under VGF funding for this Project. In addition to above, 36 green buses have been made road worthy and are now plying on city routes. Additionally, modern bus terminals have also been planned for Karachi city,” he explained.
The government of Sindh is also fully committed for the Revival of Karachi Circular Railways project with the assistance of JICA. The KCR will have a dual track of 43.3 km with 24 stations at an average distance of 1.5 km. The estimated cost of the project is US $ 2.6 billion. JICA appraisal mission is expected during FY 2015-16 for negotiations/signing of loan agreement. “We are also talking to the Chinese to assist us in this project in case the JICA funding does not go through. The Brown Line MRT from Nagan Chowrangi to Landhi is also under active consideration and we are talking to Chinese to provide funding for this project.”
The Karachi Sewerage Project S-III is a mega project for treated sewerage disposal for Karachi having a cost of Rs 7.982 billion out of which the federal government has to contribute Rs 3.991 billion. The project is conceived to enhance the capacity of sewerage treatment of 500 MGD. The total sewerage generated in the city is 465 MGD. Rupees 1 billion has been allocated in the ADP 2015-16. This project will have immense environmental and health related benefits, in keeping with our vision of a clean, green Sindh.
The Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme K-IV has been envisioned at a cost of Rs 25.522 billion with 50 per cent share of government of Sindh to address the water shortage issues of Karachi. Presently, Karachi is drawing 1200 cusecs (650MGD) approved quota of water from Indus, which is insufficient for the ever-increasing water demand of 23 million people of Karachi. The K-IV project is planned for provision of additional 1200 cusecs (650 MGD) in three phases. The government of Sindh has allocated 485 cusecs (260 MGD) of additional water quota for the first phase of K-IV project, which will be completed by 2018. Rupees Rs 2.5 billion have been earmarked for this project for the next FY. It is expected that the federal government will match this allocation.
In addition to above a major initiative for waste management in Karachi is being undertaken by the Sindh Waste Management Board. I will elaborate on this later in my speech.
Other important schemes of Karachi include conversion of selected existing schools into model schools (primary, secondary and higher secondary of CDGK) with a cost of Rs 1.52 billion; establishment of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto University of Law at Karachi with a cost of Rs 1.2 billion. The first batch of students will start by August 2015.
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Accident Emergency & Ancillary Services Complex will be set up at Civil Hospital Karachi having a cost of Rs 6.3 billion. This facility will be completed by July 2015. Construction of 400 Bedded Hospital at NIPA Chowrangi Gulshan-e-Iqbal Karachi has a cost of Rs 1.73 billion.
Other projects include establishment of Children Hospital at SIUT Karachi with a cost Rs 577 million, establishment of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical Complex at National Highway near Razzaqabad, extension of the services of SIUT at Karachi at the cost of Rs 1.5 billion; strengthening/Upgradation of Jinnah Sindh Medical University Karachi at the cost of Rs 1 billion; establishment of Medical College at Karachi with Rs 1 billion cost; construction of three Lane Flyover at Malir 15 at Shahrah-e-Faisal Karachi, construction of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Flyover at Shaheen Complex, up-gradation of Dhabeji Pumping Station, 65 MGD additional water supply from Haleji to Pipri having cost of Rs 6.2 billion, widening/improvement of main hawks bay road, Karachi, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Jam Sadique Bridge Korangi, construction of flyover at Malir Halt at a cost of Rs 386 million, and construction of Madar-e-Jamhoriyat Nusrat Bhutto Under pass at Mehran Hotel at a cost of Rs 458.761 million.