In This Post:
Latest Updates
Cities in Sindh’s Masterplan
Karachi’s Masterplan
Backed by the recent wave of urbanisation and development, the Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah announced that the government has initiated the groundwork to form and complete a masterplan for Sindh, which will be executed before the end of this year.
We had previously listed some mega projects in Sindh to give a clearer idea about how Sindh is taking on a new shape. And now, through this blog, we will discuss how the Planning and Development Department (P&DD) of Sindh plans to execute this mega project and uplift the living standards in the province via strategic and well-planned urbanisation. We will also analyse the future of the 17 cities that are included in the new masterplan for Sindh and how they are scheduled to generate more economic activity and investment opportunities.
So, without further ado, let’s get planning!
Possible Areas Covered in the Masterplan for 17 Cities in Sindh
Before we start detailing the key features covered in the masterplan for the 17 cities, let’s first understand the need and criticality of such a plan and provincial growth. To begin with, provincial growth schemes are deeply associated with four significantly important factors — social progress of citizens, access to civic amenities, well-developed infrastructure, and financial opportunities. These factors lead to the grass-root betterment of the society, which eventually elevates the lifestyle of an ordinary individual, decreases poverty, and introduces several other social benefits.
That said, the masterplan is going to positively affect 17 major cities in Sindh and here’s a compilation of the possible areas covered in it:
- Urban Policy & Planning: A systematic activity, which is specifically aimed at the development of cities and is primarily proposed by the government, is known as urban policy and planning. Urban development or urban planning is associated primarily with the policy-making of land use, building environment-friendly schemes, developing infrastructure, and supervising the fair distribution of civic amenities.
- Economic Regeneration & Investment Management: We know, and it has been proven that betterment in urban planning gives rise to several economic opportunities and generates employment in various areas, including investment management (also known as financial management).
- Municipal Infrastructure & Services: Sindh’s masterplan for 17 cities is aimed explicitly at bettering social communication and public services in the province. The masterplan is going to be a game-changer in terms of how people perceive government services and offices.
- Municipal Finance & Governance: Public finance and management enable the concerned authorities to make the best use of resources to improve the quality of life in the province. A robust structure for municipal finance and governance is exceptionally important for good governance.
Now that you have a better understanding of the possible developments covered in Sindh’s masterplan for 17 cities, let’s dig some more information about the department that caters urban planning and development in the province.
About Sindh Planning and Development Department
There’s a little information available as to who is mainly responsible for the planning and supervision of the masterplan of the 17 cities. This could be due to the fact that the masterplan covers a vast area and caters to the development requirements of different segments. Generally, urban developmental projects and other socioeconomic ventures fall under the flagship of the Sindh Planning and Development Department.
Established in the year 1970, the Sindh Planning and Development Department (P&DD) is a state-owned department that is mainly responsible for the socioeconomic development of the province. Several other departments function under the flagship of this authority, and ‘Urban Policy and Strategic Planning’ is one of them. As per the official website, the department is in charge of:
- Planning for urbanisation and policy development
- Conducting economic research
- Providing technical assistance
- Supervising and processing all development schemes submitted by other departments and suggesting amendments as per provincial/governmental standards
- Evaluating and analysing development programmes in the province
- Maintaining the association of developmental schemes with National Planning Agencies
Other Ongoing Projects under the Planning and Development Department Sindh
Some additional development projects in the province under the flagship of the Planning and Development Department, Sindh are:
- People’s Poverty Reduction Programme
- Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project
- Municipal Services Delivery Programme
- Sindh Water Sector Improvement Project
Seventeen Cities in Sindh’s Masterplan
Revealing the details about 14 of the 17 cities that have been shortlisted for Sindh’s masterplan, the Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah said the masterplan will include the following cities in Sindh:
- Sukkur
- Larkana
- Mirpurkhas
- NawabShah
- Islamkot
- Jamshoro
- Mithi
- Sanghar
- Naushahro Feroz
- Dadu
- Mitiari
- Umerkot
- Tando Alahyar
- Karachi
So, what happened to Karachi’s Masterplan? We are coming to it.
The Responsibility of Karachi’s Masterplan to be Handed Over to a Sindh-wide Authority
The Government of Sindh is in the process of developing a new authority under the title of ‘Sindh Urban and Regional Master Plan Authority’, which will primarily supervise and commence town planning across the province.
Commenting on the responsibilities of the new authority, Local Government Secretary Roshan Ali Shaikh said, “The authority would work independently with a separate director-general in all regions of Sindh and having its headquarters in Karachi”. He further added, “The aim is to reformulate urban and regional lands and housing standards to provide improved conditions, particularly in urban areas”.
Sharing the progress of the department, he revealed, “The first draft of the constitution and regulations of the department is almost nearing completion, and it will be sent to the Sindh Law department for final evaluation before it is forwarded to the concerned authorities for approval”.
As per the new rules, the masterplan of Karachi is going to be replaced by a masterplan developed by the Sindh-wide Authority, and the city will be covered in Sindh’s masterplan for 17 cities.
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Latest Updates on Sindh’s Masterplan for 17 Cities
On 17th February 2020, the Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah met a delegation of 45 government officials during the 42nd Specialised Training Programme. During the meeting, the secretary informed that the masterplan for the modernisation and planned development of 17 cities in the province will be prepared by the government of Sindh.
Commenting on the deadline for the planning stage, the Chief Minister said that the masterplan for 17 cities in Sindh will be completed and made available to the public before the end of 2020. He further added, “Apart from a separate master plan for Karachi, the Sindh Master Plan will also take into account shadowed cities like Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Islamkot, and Jamshoro.” Adding some more cities to the list, he also mentioned Mithi, Sanghar, Naushahro Feroze, Dadu, Mitiari, Umerkot, and Tando Allahyar as a part of Sindh’s masterplan.
Sharing a few highlights of the development, he said that the government is following global standards for developing the Thar Coal Power Project, which will be a major step towards modernisation. The project, currently, is helping to generate employment for locals, and seventy percent of the labour force is being hired from the nearby areas. He further added that the authorities are working strategically and have also developed an airport for the Thar Coal Project.
Shifting the conversation to various developments in Karachi, he said that the government will take special considerations of the civic infrastructure of Karachi and it is a significant part of the masterplan. As per some officials associated with the initiative, some of the projects related to road networks, flyovers, and subways boasting a cumulative length of 150 km had already been delivered in Karachi. Meanwhile, the list of ongoing projects comprises:
- Competitive and Liveable City of Karachi
- Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project
- Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project
- Bus Rapid Transit Service
He added that the city of lights has a total of 449 ongoing projects, which would be completed before the first half of 2020.
This wraps up our take on Sindh’s masterplan for 17 cities. We will keep updating this blog with the crispiest information, so don’t forget to bookmark this page and visit often. For more informative posts, subscribe to Zameen Blog by entering your email address in the box on the right side of your screen. Also, do not forget to like our Facebook page.
