World Bank to provide assistance in restoring Karachi's infrastructure

The World Bank has expressed its willingness to provide emergency assistance to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for speedy rehabilitation of rain-hit infrastructure in Karachi, The News reported.

Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab said on Thursday that the International Financial Institution's interest in rehabilitating rain-affected areas was "good news for the city". With the support of the World Bank, he said, roads, arteries, bridges, underpasses and flyovers will be repaired as soon as possible and this will provide convenience to the citizens. Wahab met the World Bank delegation at his office. He said that in the past, important projects were carried out in Karachi in collaboration with the World Bank and other international organizations. He hoped that the WB support would also play a key role in restoring the affected infrastructure in various areas of Karachi after the recent rains. "The World Bank team will be provided all facilities and support in Karachi to complete their work as soon as possible."

Briefing the WB representative about the ongoing development projects, Wahab said that the basic infrastructure of the city is improving and all the works under the comprehensive strategy have been completed on time. “Government of Sindh is trying to provide facilities to citizens in every sector. The provincial government and KMC are allocating sufficient funds for development works and prioritizing those projects which can provide immediate and maximum benefit to the citizens,” he said. Wahab said that in projects designed to improve the city, all relevant institutions were incorporated and problems were solved through a common strategy. According to him, the underground sewage system is repaired even before the construction of roads, so that the roads built with a large amount of funds are not damaged due to collapsing sewage. Briefing the delegation about the jurisdiction of the KMC, Wahab said that different institutions have control over the land in Karachi. He, however, said that the Metropolitan Corporation of the city is the central body of municipal services and its staff and machinery are deployed in all areas of the city.