KARACHI: The federal and Sindh governments have joined hands to work together on a much-ambitious $3.1 billion project aimed at reclaiming land near Machar Colony for coastal developments, including four new berths and a fishing port with a world-class fisheries export processing zone.

At a meeting held at the CM House on Thursday, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Federal Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar agreed to collaborate on a series of ambitious projects, including the Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone (KCCDZ).

The KCCDZ, initiated by the maritime ministry in 2021 and included in the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor, is expected to generate significant employment opportunities, with the feasibility study already complete and implementation planned in three phases across 687 acres.According to a press statement issued from the CM house, the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) briefed the chief minister on the KCCDZ project, a joint initiative with the federal government through an existing Memorandum of Understanding.

This project, estimated at $3.1bn, aims to reclaim land near Machar Colony for developments, including a business bay, high-tech knowledge park, new industry city, cruise terminal, and a desalination plant. The CM said that the proposed project would not affect any human settlement in the area.

A committee, including the Sindh Planning and Development Minister Syed Nasir Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, and Commissioner Hasan Naqvi, will address land-related issues between the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the Sindh government. The federal maritime ministry will soon appoint its representatives to the committee.

The meeting included provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon, Nasir Shah, Muhammad Ali Malkani, Environment Advisor Dost Muhammad Rahimoon, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah, Principal Secretary Agha Wasif, P&D Chairman Najm Shah, Livestock Secretary Kazim Jatoi, Environment Secretary Agha Shahnawaz and others.

On the federal side, Parliamentary Secretary for Maritime Affairs Dr DarshanPunshi, Director General Ports & Shipping Alia Shahid, Secretary Board of Investment Dr Arif Iqbal, Chairman Port Qasim Authority Rear Admiral (R) Moazzam Ilyas, General Manager KPT Atig Rahman and other officials were present.

At the outset of the meeting, the chief minister affirmed Sindh`s commitment to collaborate with the maritime ministry on all upcoming projects, emphasising the need for joint efforts to drive the province`s development.

Sewerage system Recognising the dire need to prevent untreated wastewater from polluting the sea, the chief minister underscored the importance of rapidly installing sewage treatment plants throughout Karachi.

He extended a standing offer to collaborate on every project with the federal ministry, ensuring synergy and maximising benefits for the people of the province.

The federal maritime affairs minister expressed his confidence that projects undertaken in partnership with the Sindh government would deliver substantial benefits to the province and its residents.

Both the federal and provincial governments concurred on the critical importance of working together to promote sustainable coastal development in Karachi.

The chief minister said that the provincial government was actively installing treatment plant-3 (TP-3) in collaboration with CRBC, alongside plans to establish a desalination plant with a capacity of 50,000 gallons of water daily.

He said that the broader GreaterKarachiSewerage Plan (STP-III) was being expedited to tackle the issue of untreated sewage flowing into the sea via the Lyari and Malir rivers.

`Upgrades to treatment plants TP-1 and TP-2 will increase their capacity to 100 MGD and 180 MGD, respectively, while a new treatment plant (TP-4) with a 180 MGD capacity will be constructed in Korangi, specifically treating water from the Malir river basin,` he added.