KARACHI: Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Thursday launched a Rs2 billion infrastructure rehabilitation programme for the SITE Industrial Area.
It will be executed by the SITE Association of Industry to ensure transparent, targeted and speedy completion of the projects.
It is a major package of road reconstruction, drainage improvement and civic infrastructure meant to revitalize Pakistan’s largest and oldest industrial estate.
The Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had inaugurated its first landmark industrial unit, the Valika Textile Mills, on September 21, 1947.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Wahab said the Sindh government had allocated the special development package to upgrade the industrial area’s aging infrastructure and facilitate economic activity.
“This is a strategic investment in Karachi’s economic backbone. Modern infrastructure is essential for industrial growth, investment and employment,” he said.
The mayor said the entire allocation had been placed at the disposal of the SITE Association of Industry to ensure transparency, speedy execution and effective monitoring of the projects.
“The government has fulfilled its responsibility by providing the funds. It is now the association’s responsibility to execute the projects efficiently and complete them within the stipulated timeframe,” he said.
The development programme includes the rehabilitation of key roads, improvement of the drainage network and other civic infrastructure required to address long-standing issues affecting industries in the area.
Wahab said the business community played a pivotal role in the economy of Karachi and the country as a whole.
Providing reliable municipal infrastructure was essential to improving industrial productivity and attracting investment.
He said the Sindh government, under the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, remained committed to resolving the problems of traders and industrialists through sustained infrastructure development and public investment.
Representatives of the SITE Association of Industry briefed the mayor on the implementation plan and progress of the projects before the inauguration.
The ceremony was attended by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, prominent industrialists M. Zubair Motiwala and M. Javed Bilwani, along with senior government officials and representatives of the business community.
Meanwhile, the mayor said that 35 MGD secondary treated water project was ready for industries.
He said that the recycled water project would not only make the industries of SITE area adhere to environmental compliance, but it would also resolve the decades-old issue of shortage of water for industrial processing.
Murtaza Wahab said that a total of 100-MGD secondary treated 1,800-TDS water shall be available to industries by the end of the year.
He stressed the need of working as a team and enhancing coordination between SITE association, the mayor and the commissioner of Karachi to sort out issues of the industry.
On SITE Association’s proposal of formation of a SITE development and management company, the mayor suggested to bring the matter up at the stakeholders’ joint meeting.
In response to a question by Zubair Motiwala, the mayor said that water was available in the Hub dam, and the project of laying of dedicated waterline from Hub dam to SITE area needed to be discussed further to remove the bottlenecks.
Earlier, SITE President Abdul Rehman Fudda welcomed the mayor and the commissioner to the association for meeting and presentation on road projects being undertaken by the association.
He drew attention of the mayor towards formation of SITE-DMC, collection of taxes by Town Municipal Corporations from SITE area despite having no jurisdiction, encroachments in SITE area and removal of debris from the area.
He also drew attention of the mayor towards shortage of fire station staff and requested him to provide four drivers and an equal number of firemen.
Patron-in-Chief Zubair Motiwala thanked the mayor and the commissioner for sparing time for the meeting.
He said that SITE could be easily separated from the ambit of SITE Limited as there was no land remaining in the industrial area for selling. Rather, there was a huge responsibility to maintain the existing infrastructure.
He requested the mayor to look into the matter of construction of a bypass for Karachi which was vital to lower the burden of heavy traffic load in SITE area, saying that Karachi was the only port city with no bypass.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026