SUKKUR  -  The Sindh government has announced the development of master plans for 12 secondary cities in the province. The package -I of the plan includes cities within the Sukkur division, including Rohri, Khairpur, Ghotki, and Mirpur Mathelo.  A consultative meeting was held on Tuesday at the Commissioner’s Office in Sukkur to discuss the master plan for Rohri. The meeting was attended by notable figures, including Spokesperson for the Sindh government and Mayor Sukkur, Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh, Director General Urban and Regional Policy and Strategic Planning, Planning & Development Department, Dr. Imtiaz Bhutti, Commissioner Sukkur Fayaz Hussain Abbasi, Deputy Commissioner Dr. M.B. Raja Dharijo, Nisar Siddiqui Town Committee Chairman Tariq Chauhan, Project consultants and officers from line departments. In the meeting, a detailed consultation was held with stakeholders on the master plan for Rohri, and new proposals were discussed and deliberated upon.

Speaking on the occasion, Director General Urban Planning, Dr. Imtiaz Bhutti, said that the activity of preparing master plans for small cities in Sindh has been ongoing for several years, and many have already been completed.

We have started preparing plans for some new cities and are consulting with stakeholders to incorporate their suggestions, he said.  Bhutti said that the proposals of master plans are currently in the initial stage, and at this stage, any changes can be made.  In the meeting, stakeholders criticized us, and they made valid criticisms because they have a better understanding of the ground realities as consultants have also come from outside, and we have also come from Karachi. He saud that after consulting, we will incorporate the new proposals we have received into the master plan and again consult with stakeholders to inform them how many of their proposals have been included in the master plan and why some have not been included.

He said that the master plan is a living document, and changes can be made to it. The population of cities is increasing, and we cannot stop it. If someone made a master plan in 2017, and today it’s 2024, and the population has increased significantly, then it’s necessary to review the master plan. He said that it’s also included in the master plan laws that the master plan should be updated every five years.  Spokesperson for the Sindh government and Mayor Sukkur, Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh said that under the directives of leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party, the Sindh government is developing long-term and short-term master plans for secondary cities to address urban growth challenges.

He added that, master plans for all cities in Sindh will be prepared according to international standards, and implementation of these plans will also be ensured to effectively tackle urban challenges. He said that the Urban Unit of the Planning and Development Department of Sindh is working on preparing master plans for cities with a population of over 100000 , aiming to create long-term social and economic plans for these cities. Arslan said that the master plan for Sukkur was notified in 2018. In capacity of Mayor of Sukkur, I believe that the current plan has several shortcomings that need to be addressed, he said and added that this is not a master plan, but rather a journal development concept paper. A master plan should include everything in a specific and detailed manner. The city’s zoning should be clearly defined, indicating where industries are located, where katchi abadis (informal settlements) are situated, and where urban roads are constructed.

Barrister Shaikh reminded that in a court case, the Sindh Building Control Authority had presented a development concept paper for the Sukkur city, which was later notified as a master plan.

As the Mayor of Sukkur, I have raised this issue with the Sindh government, and work is underway to update it to transform it into a master plan that meets international standards. Regarding Rohri, he mentioned that there are some areas that have been declared environmentally hazardous in initial proposal, where development has already taken place.

We believe that these areas do not pose environmental risks, and if they do, necessary measures can be taken to mitigate these risks. He said that this is more of a consultative process than just addressing reservations, in which all stakeholders are giving their recommendations so that the document that is prepared is a concrete and realistic master plan.