History of KMC
Major Departments and Functions
KMC Complaint Portal
Upcoming Low-cost Housing Initiative
Update (Oct 05, 2022):
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is currently working on a digital map of Karachi. Click on the highlighted text for more info!
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is one of the important institutional wings of the local government system, headed by the city’s mayor or an administrator. There are many key departments of the KMC that are responsible to oversee different types of public affairs, concerning the dwellers of Karachi. Before learning more about the functioning of the KMC, let’s take a quick look at its institutional history.
History of KMC
The origin of the KMC can be traced back to the pre-independence era. It was founded as Karachi Municipal Committee in the 1850s, which was later transformed into the Karachi Municipal Corporation under the 1933 Karachi Metropolitan Act.
The foundation stone of the very famous KMC building, which is one of the most prominent and iconic government buildings in Karachi, was laid in 1927. With some significant amendments in the role and scope of the institutional functioning, the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) was converted into the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) in 1976.
However, in the early 2000s, the KMC was dissolved for the formation of the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK) and the city was divided into multiple towns and union councils. After almost a decade, in 2011, the government of Sindh revived the KMC along with five district municipal corporations.
Key Departments and Functions of KMC
From the cleanliness of the city to the management of services and facilities available in public healthcare and educational institutions, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has specific departments to handle different kinds of public affairs.
It also looks after the car parking arrangements near public spaces and recreational activities around the city. The KMC is also responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of urban opens spaces like public gardens and government-run amusement parks. Kashmir Park (formerly known as Askari Park), which is one of the most popular theme parks in Karachi, was also handed over to the KMC recently.
Anti-Encroachment Department
The Anti-Encroachment Department of the KMC works side by side with the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to mainly look after matters related to land and estate management as per the local construction bylaws. It checks and removes encroachments from the main roads and streets.
The department is also responsible to prevent the misuse of amenity plots that are only reserved to be used for public welfare purposes as well as for generating revenue for the KMC by allowing public and private entities to use a particular piece of land or a venue temporarily.
Parks and Horticulture Department
This department is responsible for looking after the greenery in the city by planting trees and maintaining different types of horticulture features in public parks and greenbelts around the city. Parks and Horticulture Department is also responsible for working on small- and large-scale tree plantation campaigns targeting major arteries for the beautification of the infrastructure of the city.
Sindh Solid Waste Management Department
The Sindh Solid Waste Management Department is jointly run by the Sindh government and KMC. The department has the following roles and responsibilities:
- Management, treatment and disposal of solid waste including landfill sites and recycling plants.
- Sanitation, conservancy, removal and disposal of greywater.
- Treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and toxic waste from hospitals and industries.
- Fumigation and pest control in different parts of the city.
- Environmental toxicity control, including necessary preventive and precautionary measures against air, water, and soil pollution as per federal and provincial laws and standards.
To fetch a complete list of KMC departments that are responsible for the management of public affairs in the city, you can navigate to the official website of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.
KMC Complaint Portal and Management System
If you are facing any particular issues regarding the usage and maintenance of public welfare facilities in your locality, you can notify the relevant department of the KMC by using the online complaint management system. After accessing the KMC complaint portal, you have to fill out a form with the relevant information.
Digital Innovation of ‘Know Your Karachi’ Map By KMC is in the Works
The KMC is planning to put up an interactive map of the megacity on its website. It would be a major breakthrough in terms of the digitisation initiatives introduced by the local authorities. According to the details released in a meeting that took place at the office of Administrator Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab, the map would contain details about all the key landmarks and facilities in the metropolitan area.
It would notify users about the nearest municipal services, police stations, fire stations, hospitals, universities, colleges, urban open spaces, playgrounds, recreation spots, libraries and a lot of other places. The map would also contain information about the public transport routes in Karachi. Administrator Karachi added that the fully-featured “Know Your Karachi” digital map would soon be available to the general public on KMC’s official website.
Upcoming Low-cost Housing Scheme By KMC
According to City Administrator Murtaza Wahab’s latest statement, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had decided to introduce an affordable housing scheme under a public-private partnership, targeting the low-income group in the city.
The administrator said that the upcoming low-cost housing scheme in Karachi would be developed in the locality of Orangi Town. The director of the Orangi Town Pilot Project had already been directed to carry out a survey of the land for the construction of the residential scheme.
Other areas were also being surveyed by the KMC for the development of more such projects around the city to provide affordable housing solutions to the citizens of Karachi.
There you have it — a detailed overview of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
We hope the information we have shared above will help you develop a better understanding of this important local government institution in Karachi and the way it functions. If you have any questions related to this blog, feel free to contact us at blog@zameen.com.
On a side note, you may also like to read about the Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project (KNIP) — an initiative focused on improving and upgrading the infrastructure in the megacity to improve its livability.
For more informative property and development updates, stay tuned to Zameen Blog — the best real estate blog in Pakistan. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our email newsletter to stay updated with all our latest content.
