HYDERABAD: Former Karachi commissioner Asif Hyder Shah has said that around 50,000 people add to Karachi population annually which puts pressure on its civic infrastructure. `Planning is under way in collaboration with World Bank to ensure proper utilisation of resources targeting a population of 30 million in the city,` he said while speaking at an awareness seminar on `Environment education` held in a local hotel on Sunday under the auspices of the Youth Parliament.

Adviser to the Chief Minister on Auqaf Dr Abdul Qayyum Soomro, MPA Rashid Khilji of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Farheen Mughal of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Rizwan Jaffar and others also spoke.

The city`s civic infrastructure is under immense pressure due to the huge annualinflux, Mr Shah said, and observed as the new population would create and settle in slums. `A World Bank-funded `Karachi growth strategy` is under way that targets a population of 30 million as far as the resource mobilisation and civic amenities provision are concerned,` he said.

He noted that the tree-felling trend was growing in the metropolis, and recalled that he got six cases registered against some of those responsible for chopping off trees including an office-bearer of a builders assoclation. He said that this year`s heatwave didn`t lead to serious losses due to appropriate arrangements like the setting up of 600 relief points.

The former commissioner said that he was disappointed to see heaps of garbage in Hyderabad and dying plantation. `We introduced new trends in public service for which people need to be taken on board,` he said, adding that he received a positive responsefrom the people of Hyderabad. `I had just decided to start work in Karachi and people were lending me their support,` he said. He stressed that people would have to own their cities because public service was a difficult job as the masses would hardly show trust in administration.

Mr Shah told the audience that in his short span as the Karachi commissioner, he could focus on the water tanker mafia and billboards and was pleased to receive full cooperation from the general public. He said that 12,000 tonnes of solid waste was generated every day in that city for which community would also have to come forward to tackle the issue. `One has to worl< within his domain. Issues crop up when you interfere in other`s domain,`, he said.

He said that he never considered a post his weakness. `When I see I can deliver, I work but when going on gets tough, I leave; and that`s why my postings lastbrief periods,` he said.

CM`s Adviser Dr Abdul Qayyum Soomro appreciated Mr Shah`s services as Karachi commissioner, saying `the credit goes to the PPP government that posted him there`.

He said Mr Shah performed remarkably over the last three months. He said that joint efforts alone could lead to social change. People would have to change their attitude for positive changes in society, he added.

Speaking to Dawn after the seminar concluded, Mr Shah said that the $10 billion Karachi-specific strategy would cover areas of solid waste, drainage, drinking water, urban transportation and low-income housing projects.

He said it was partly funded by the World Bank which would pitch in around $2 billion while rest would be arranged by the federal government or generated through Karachi`s own economic potential.