HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah visited the site of Autobhan Road, where a Rs2.5bn road and drain development scheme is being executed.

His visit, on Friday, was aimed at overseeing progress of work on several ongoing development projects, including Autobhan Road and its connecting drain.

These works are part of the development projects being executed in line with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari`s vision of upgrading divisional headquarters / urban centres. Asif Shah also met Hyderabad Mayor Kashif Shoro, Commissioner Bilal Memon and Deputy Commissioner Zain U1 Abiden Memon to discuss the projects.

`The Annual Development Plan (ADP) 2025-26 was discussed in the informal meetings so that the plan can have more schemes in the sanitation and water supply sectors,` the CS told Dawn over phone before leaving for Sehwan.

He said that these works were important and should be taken up in the ADP 2025-26 of the provincial budget.

He focused on Autobhan Road scheme, which was delayed for quite some time, and the construction work on its main drain -between Public School and Darya Khan pumping station.

`I have asked theHyderabad administration to complete the work of Phase-I and II by June 30,`he said.

Commissioner Bilal Memon said that the tendering process of Rs500m works of other roads Badin bus stop and Miran Mohammad Shah road -had been completed and work on them would begin within the current month.

He said that more works out of Sindh government`s funds for roads, sewerage and water supply sectors were planned.

A major anti-encroachment drive was carriedout on Autobhan Road a few days back. Several multistoried buildings, besides smaller structures, were partially or completely razed.

These buildings and structures had annexed state-owned land and had to be razed to retrieved the encroached upon stretch of Autobhan Road.

According to sources, the state-owned property was doled out to private parties in collusion with the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) in the name of `additional land allotment`.More encroachments are to be removed by the district administration to retrieve the stretch meant for the drain.

Contractors and consultants were present at the site during the visit by the CS. Some issues hampering the work were also brought to his notice.

Water filtration plants Mayor Kashif Shoro told the CS that a new 6mgd (million gallons per day) water filtration plant for Qasimabad should be approved so that presentwater supplies form the Hussainabad`s 6mgd plant, new 30mgd plant and old 10mgd plant could be dedicated for the City and Latifabad areas.

With the construction of new filter plant for Qasimabad, Shoro said, this 6mgd component of water supply would be available for Latifabad and City as well.

Qasimabad currently gets 1mgd supply from the Hussainabad plant, he said.

Shoro told Dawn that new filtration plant`s cost was worked out atRs2.2bn, and added that he had also proposed a new 32-inch-dia water line for Latifabad Unit-4 filtration plant from Kotri Barrage upstream. The cost of the pipeline was worked out at Rs1.8bn.

This line would augment water supplies for both Hussainabad and Latifabad unit-4.

Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation (HW&SC) manages filtration plants of Hyderabad which were fed by the corporation`s lagoons in Karan Khan Shoro village.