Provision of utility services: non-existence of master plan major impediment, says Karachi Nazim

Non-existence of any master plan is the major impediment in the provision of utility services to various parts of Karachi.
The second major obstacle the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) confronted with in resolving the public problems is incomplete transfer of power to it. The full administrative powers as envisaged in the Sindh Local Government Ordinance have not yet been delegated to the CDGK and many departments, which should have been merged into it by now, are still out of its purview.
City Nazim Naimatullah Khan made these observations to a World Bank delegation, which visited the City Nazim's office and held a review meeting with the CDGK officials on Friday.
The Nazim emphasised the need of having a comprehensive master plan of the city for its rapid development and progress. He also called for full implementation of devolution plan in its letter and spirit and said that though the plan was a very good one, it needed to be implemented in its true spirit.
World Bank Senior Director Vigent Conarne exchanged views with the Nazim on the development projects of the city and observed that the city was in dire need of effective traffic management system.
He referred to Bogota City where all the traffic properly runs in the respective lanes and never resorts to over-speeding. Likewise, he proposed that the same system should be established in Karachi also.
World Bank Country Director John Wall underlined the need to improve law and order situation for attracting investment in the city.
He also called for uniform building bylaws for the city and induction of more new buses under the Urban Transport Scheme.
On this occasion, DCO Karachi Mir Hussain Ali said that the city needed about 5,000 new buses to cater to the transport needs of the citizens and hoped that the new local government system would strengthen with the passage of time.
Prominent among others who were also present in the meeting included Oscar Alvarado of WB, Zafar Raja and Shehnaz Arshad.
Meanwhile, the Transport and Communication Department, CDGK, has directed town administrations to demolish illegal and dangerous speed breakers in their respective areas.
Currently, there are about 250 illegal speed breakers constructed on 32 busy arteries of the city, out of which 150 speed breakers are considered not only illegal, but dangerous also.
A CDGK spokesman said the department has also prepared a plan to construct 490 bus transit shelters on BOT basis in the city, which had already been approved by the city Nazim.