Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Saturday inaugurated the project after the reconstruction of the Shadab Football Ground to promote sports in Gulberg Town.
The project has been completed in Federal B Area of Gulberg Town to promote sports activities. Members of the City Council, other elected representatives, and a large number of citizens were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Wahab said that the restoration of Shadab Football Ground is a serious and long-term effort to encourage the youth of the city toward positive sports activities. He said that the priority of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation is to restore playgrounds in all districts of the city so that young people can be provided with opportunities for healthy and positive activities.
He said that the total cost of the project is 224 million rupees and the total area of the project covers 16,510 square meters, of which 10,400 square meters have been allocated specifically for the football ground. He added that 6,100 square meters have been designated for a park and Eidgah area so that citizens can also benefit from recreational facilities.
The mayor said that the football ground has been equipped with modern facilities including a pavilion, stores, a sewerage system, toilets, children’s play swings, green belts, and a walking track for women and senior citizens. Under the project, grass has already been laid over an area of 10,320 square meters, while 134 trees, 183 shrubs and plants, and 70 ground-cover plants have also been planted.
He said that this historic ground used to host football matches in the past but lacked a proper system. He added that the project was implemented to protect the land from encroachments and to promote sports activities. He further said that since there is a residential population around the ground, women, elderly people, and children will now also be able to visit the area for walking and recreation.
Wahab said that steps are being taken to prevent water wastage and that water from the mosque’s ablution area will be transferred to a well and used for irrigation of greenery. He said the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation is continuously taking steps to improve the city and every possible resource will be utilized for the development of Karachi.
He added that the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the KMC team are actively working to resolve public issues. Development work will begin on four major corridors of the city including SM Taufiq Road and Rashid Minhas Road, while efforts are also being made to address traffic signal issues.
He said that critics earlier claimed no work was being done and now question the quality of the work, but the KMC will continue practical efforts to resolve citizens’ problems. He further said that work on the second track of Jahangir Road will begin immediately after the Eid, while a road from Jahangir Road to Yadgar Fish will also be constructed.
The mayor added that plans are underway to install fiber manhole covers, lay paver blocks, and install solar street lights along the entire Jahangir Road. He said that work on the new and old canals of Hub Dam has been completed and an additional pump has been ordered to improve water supply.
He concluded that if provincial, federal, and city governments work together, Karachi’s problems can be resolved more effectively. In this regard, discussions were held during meetings with Governor Sindh Nehal Hashmi and the chief minister about joint efforts for the improvement of Karachi, and it is hoped that the governor will help secure a special package for Karachi from the prime minister.
