KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Muhammad Ismail Rahu has expressed satisfaction over approval of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the Malir Expressway project on Friday.

During a briefing on the project in his office on Friday, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) Director General NaeemAhmed Mughal presented a detailed analysis of the approval process of the 39-km long expressway being built at a cost of Rs27.5bn, scheduled to be completed in 30 months.

He informed the minister that contrary to the prevailing assumptions, the water needs of the project would not be curtailed and the main supplies during its construction would be met through tanker service.

The project, he said, would alleviate trafhc congestion onthe existing urban road network as a significant number of vehicles would use the expressway.

The minister was informed that all secondary stakeholders were consulted before approving the EIA of the project, including the departments of revenue, local government, irrigation, works and services, culture and antiquity besides Iqra University, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, the Sui Southern Gas Corporadon and Karachi Water and SewerageBoard.

`Only eight to 10 houses, including some huts, would be affected by the project while there will be impact on installations. A public hearing was conducted on March 9 followed by a site visit on March 24 and a meeting of the expert committee on April 1 in this regard,` the director general said.

Mr Rahu appreciated the performance of Sepa, while directing of ficials to continue work with the same dedication.