Daily Times

KARACHI: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor referred to as CPEC, is a collection of projects which is intended for the rapid expansion of Pakistan’s infrastructure, simultaneously deepening economic ties with China and establishing a link with Gwadar port for export of Chinese products from the country’s western industrial region. It is predicted that the CPEC will add approximately 2-2.5% points to the yearly economic growth of Pakistan. But to execute such a dynamic economic strategy, the current basic infrastructure of at least the main cities of the country should be in a state where they could offer convenience.

The industrial area of Karachi contributes a large share to the GDP of the country. The primary road that connects the industrial area to the rest of the country- The National Highway- is in a shambles. It has been completely ignored by the government and no repair work whatsoever has been carried out on it. When the country is geared to make CPEC successful, why is it that the existing infrastructure is being ignored? This is an essential part of the business sector and Karachi’s industrial area is extremely disturbed because the road is in such a bad shape. The Sindh Government needs to focus on the important infrastructural needs of Karachi so that the city is geared to support the economic expansion planned as a part of CPEC.

To date, the National Highway, which is the only road that connects the industrial area is in an appalling state. The road is nothing but 25km of bumpy movement which is only getting worse. There is zero maintenance during monsoons and no drainage system which has only made its condition worse. Puddles of dirty water add to the unhygienic conditions of the area. Not only the roads but the drainage system has also been ignored. Needless to say, innumerable cars have been ruined and commuting has become an ordeal. Vehicles are destroyed because of the appalling condition of the road and extra costs are incurred for their maintenance.

There are consistent traffic jams everyday without fail which cause delays and wastage of time. Also, such traffic jams encourage thieves and there have been innumerable occurrences of robberies. There are health issues among the residents of the area due to pollution and stagnated water. The workers employed in the industrial areas also face these issues and the frustrating traffic jams inadvertently are a setback for the entire industrial area and its productivity. With such a bad road system, foreign investors do not like to travel to the Karachi industrial area. They are also discouraged to make new investments in the area as their trade would be affected and employees would have a difficult time commuting. This places further economic development of Karachi in jeopardy. Karachi is the economic heart of Pakistan and when the infrastructure and basic necessities are not catered to, there will be no investment and therefore no progress.

Other National Highways of the country are being developed and repaired but Karachi is completely ignored by the National Highway Authority. Even with a Rs10 billion budget- allocation for Karachi projects, no attention is being paid to such an important highway. The industrial area has been suffering for a very long time because of the devastating state and also because absolutely no maintenance is undertaken of the highway. Even after a lot of hue and cry, the government is not concerned about this major city and its issues. It is a pity that the National Highway of Karachi is not given any consideration and is completely disregarded.