Some signs of this project being implemented
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KARACHI (July 16 2009): The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the Environmental Impact Assessment Study (EIAS) for $1.58 billion Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project.
Moreover, the Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC) is also likely to complete the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the rehabilitation of the affected persons by the mid of September 2009.According to sources, the EIAS had been completed with the Special Assistance for Project Formation (SAPROF), etc, led by a group of Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), with a delay of at least five months.
Beside the environmental studies, sources said that resettlement of thousands of families, widely spread along the railway line in the last few years, was the big issue for the concerned authority.For that the process such as getting satellite images of the KCR track from Suparco, data collection from different sources regarding the actual figures of the encroachers and meeting with different groups of people who were living on the encroached lands, was also in progress, they added.
They said that at least two Japanese experts of the resettlement process were also likely to visit Pakistan by the first week of next month. The Japanese group was also reviewing the resettlement process of the victims of Lyari Expressway and others in the city to peacefully handle the issue, they added.The RAP study, a socio-economic survey, was also being prepared to collect demographic conditions of the project area, with guidelines of Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica) and the World Bank.
The KCR project being funded by Japan Bank of International Co-operation (JBIC) was also bound to follow the guidelines of the Japanese agency.They further said that discussions were also going on with the Board of Revenue to get at least 300 acres of land, which was needed at over 700 points of the project. The PC-I based on the fresh study conducted by a survey team of Jica for the revival of the KCR was yet to be approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).
The current study, conducted by a Japanese team from the ministry of economy, trade & industry, government of Japan, adds some new developments. Japan, as a first parameter, would dualise KCR's 30-km loop with modern signalling and telecommunication system.At least two dedicated tracks along with the main line from City (Railway) Station to Drigh Road Station of 14.5 kms, which would later be linked to the airport with a distance of 6kms, at a cost of $179.464 million.
They said Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC) would be the vehicle for the implementation of the project having on its Board the senior officials of Pakistan Railways, Government of Sindh and City District Government Karachi (CDGK
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