KARACHI: Karachi Safe City project is part of a security initiative to increase safety by controlling crime and monitoring traffic. The project comprises a range of highly integrated Safe City systems, focused around a large-scale CCTV installation that will transform police operations and provide a new working structure in the city.
This he said while addressing the concluding session of Safe City Conference organized by Corporate Pakistan Group (CPG) at a local hotel, with topic of “Collaborating for Change” in Karachi, aimed to create awareness about the challenges faced by Karachi especially during adverse climatic conditions and focus on the key problems faced by the city’s administration, its residents, service providers (specifically utilities) and businesses.
The governor said: “The overall objectives of the project is to achieve more effective public safety incident tracking and response, reduce traffic violations and improve behaviours; and overall better transparency and automation in police operations.”
He said the project should have been started much earlier as Karachi is one of the largest city of the country and contributes more than 70% of the revenue in the government exchequer. The conference was told that the project comprised a range of highly integrated Safe City systems, focused around a large-scale CCTV installation that would transform police operations and provide a new working structure in the city. It was also informed that as many as 10,000 CCTV cameras would be installed in the city in three phases under the project.
Speaking at the conference, CEO K-Electric, Moonis Alvi said, “I am very pleased to be part of such an illustrious panel and have an insightful discussion. As a born Karachiite, I believe that we need to come together, collaborate, and share our ideas on the vision we have for a safer and better Karachi. In fulfillment of this vision and as part of the very fabric of the city, KE remains committed to investing around PKR 140 billion in the distribution network alone in line with our seven-year tariff period from 2017 to 2023. Subject to regulatory approvals, we also plan to simultaneously invest in our Generation and Transmission businesses to power Karachi to newer heights, Insha’Allah. Given the complexity of challenges that we face, climate change being one of the important most, I look forward to all the custodians of the city not just taking an active interest but also urgent and immediate action.”
Nasir Hussain Shah while said that we have already initiated the cleaning of rain drainages in Karachi, but they are not yet complete. He stated further that garbage is a big issue of Karachi Government. When all districts remove garbage simultaneously, then improvement will be seen. Right now, world’s 3 largest companies are working on waste to energy projects and are working on maintaining efficient drainage during the monsoon. Nasir Hussain has also assured K-Electric of his full support to prevent loss of life due to power outages in the rains.
Senator Faisal Sabzwari said that we completely agree with the charter of Karachi shared last year by Corporate Pakistan Group. The city needs proper management. A program was launched in 2007 to relocate the city’s densely populated ancient areas, but the provincial government did not approve. We have not learned anything from climate change and urban flooding. There are encroachments on the city drains. Houses built on drains of Akhtar Colony and Manzoor Colony are collapsing. Senator also expressed severe reservations on the census and asked courts to hear immediately the petition related to this matter.