Railways, as solution of Karachi commutation woes

Trains are an effective and trouble-free public commutation system in all the major and mega cities of the world. Specially in the combined regions of South Asia and Fareast including China, where statistically half of the earth population reside, railway transit is essential for urban transport infrastructure. Either it is Beijing and Tokyo or Bangkok and Mumbai, local trains are a popular and effective means of life in a metro.

But what about Karachi which lacks any local train system? Is it no longer the most developed city of Pakistan, or lost the status of a megacity ? Even in this month of October, Lahore took unprecedented initiative and launched the Orange Train for citizens there, while Karachi is still bashing on revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) that was suspended in 1999.

Once tram service and railways were used to be the best source of transportation in the metropolis. When Karachi was the capital of Pakistan, a tram network was a popular feature of commutation on the skirts of Sadder and M.A Jinnah Road. Though, majority of residents used buses and wagons for transportation within and surrounding of the old city areas. With the expansion of population, neigbourhoods like SITE area, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Liaqutabad, Federal B. Area, Gulshan e Iqbal came into existence and the then President Ayub Khan made a route of circular railway to facilitate the residents of these newly-emerged localities to travel daily to old city areas for their profession. Till the 1980s, the KCR was the best source of commutation among Karachities but thereafter, begun losing attraction gradually and was also insufficient for new developments like New Karachi, Gulistan e Jauhar and D.H.A., so ultimately closed in 1999.

As the Circular Railway stopped to function, land mafia occupied the land along the tracks and  still is a strong hurdle in the way of KCR revival. While commutation in Karachi has been getting hectic more and more with each passing day, making the private transporters another ruthless mafia of the city. Local governments always cites their legal disability on the subject of railways while federal and provincial governments hardly prioritise it in their programs.  

In 2008, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) submitted a feasibility report for the revival of Karachi Circular Railway, following it the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved Rs. 247 billion for the project in 2012 and in the 6th Coordination Committee meeting on December 29, 2016  the KCR has been made a part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The project, having 162 locomotives each with the capacity of 250 passengers, includes construction of 24 stations at 43.12 Km route, elimination of 22 level crossings, construction of 23.86 Km elevated tracks and 3.70 Km tunnel. It would function with 290 trains -- at an average speed of 45-50 Km/hour -- to ply on the route with frequency of 6 minutes and turnaround period of 43.12 Km is 66 minutes. It would likely to serve commuting needs of some 515,000 passengers each  day after its completion in 2020 and projected number of travellers would expected to increase 750,000 by the year 2030 and 915,000 in 2040.

Despite the fact that the revival of the KCR these days is confronted with a stalemate between Sindh Government and Pakistan Railways on the issues of lands and encroachments, the question is how much this Circular Railway system with existing network can be effective for citizens now, if revived on old patterns.

The 43-Km long railway line would reportedly go through Landhi, Wazir Mansion, Gulshan e Iqbal, COD, Gulistan e Jouhar, Orangi Town and Chanesar Goth with having 24 stations. But residents of New Karachi, Scheme 33, Surjani, Gulshan e Maymar, Clifton, D.H.A, Sadder, Korangi and many other areas cannot be benefitted from rail commutation with the already-existing circular railway network.

Even in areas where the railway stations are available, the vicinity is too big and dense that the KCR cannot serve even one single locality as a whole. For example, neither people reside in Buffer Zone and Godhra would benefit from the North Nazimabad station, nor people of Gulburg and Ancholi would have direct access to the Liaqutabad railway station. Similarly one wonders whether people of Gulistan e Jouhar would be able to avail the KCR service, where railway station is located outside the locality' limitation. To serve all these people parallel locomotive lanes or installation of more railway tracks are required.  

The Sindh Government recently announce that it is going to launch the first operational phase of the KCR on December 25, 2017 on a route between Wazir Mansion to Kharadar to Manghopir. In reality it is going to hand out no purpose and would serve only a filler in provincial government' shallow and shabby credentials. However, that doesn't mean to undermine the importance of KCR.

Railway transportation is must in Karachi today which can lessen the burden of vehicular traffic on roads and carbon density in environment. But important is the railway network should be meaningful and serve to a sizable amount of inhabitants. The  KCR may not obsolete but is not enough to cover all the metropolis. The city of 25 million dwellers further needs cross-rail lanes and proper railway networking including stations at all major areas to develop city on modern footings  with effective and trouble-free public transport system.

By

Infocus Editorial. 

K-Electric; The Dracula in Metropolis

The October this year hasn't  been kind so far for Karachites who are still facing an untimed hot weather with temperature rising 40 degree centigrade. Worse and more unbearable was the power interruptions and unannounced load-shedding on behalf of K Electric in this souring heat. Many areas of the city has experienced above 8 hours without electricity. However, even worse is the news of the day that NEPRA has allowed the K-Electric to raise the consumer tariff further 0.70 paisa per unit.

As reported, the management of the K Electric sought a hike in tariff to 15.57 per unit for consumers of Karachi. But the NEPRA raised it to Rs. 12.77 from Rs. 12.07 which was set couple of months ago in March 2017. Apparently it is for to facilitate the sale of majority stakes from Abraaj Capital to Shanghai Electric of China. The period for the Multi-Year Tariff shall be seven years applicable from July 1, 2016 till June 30, 2023.

A city of over 23 million, electricity situation in Karachi is deplorable, brutal and unjust. The K-Electric formerly the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation before it was privitised in 2005 to the Abraaj Capital is a sole power utility of the city was, supplying 2500 MW electricity in Karachi, which is sufficient enough according to statistics, but power crisis persists in the city for many reasons.  Due to massive and uncalled loadshedding residents protest on the road, burn tyres and blocking traffic in the metropolis. Irregular power outages have also caused shortage of water and officials of the KWSB complain that owing to power outages in the pumping stations many areas of the metropolis do not receive water.

Apart from loadshedding crisis, the K Electric is overtly looting the citizens through time to time increased tariff, hidden over billing and unfavourable fuel adjustment charges. It's tariff is not less than any Draconian regulation which is just cruelly sucking after sucking the blood of its consumers until, they die. People of Karachi have hardly got any solace or public benefits since it's privitisation.  

Whenever, NEPRA reduces power prices (due to fuel adjustments) it did this year in March by Rs. 3.23 per unit and in August 2017 by Rs. 1.7 per unit for the consumers all over the country, yet the relief didn't applicable to the consumers of K-Electric, because it is a private entity now which prefers profits over general public wellbeing.

Though, the K Electric officially says it is supplying 2500 MW but in practice it isn't. In truth it can supply 2500 MW or can generate and transmit enough power required in the metropolis but again as it is a private entity, therefore many claims it is producing less electricity to save fuel in order to mint maximum profits.

It's recovery process is weirdly unbelievable. Instead of working on to cut down the power pilferages and grip the electricity thieves the K Electric has adopted a crude and unjustified formula which punish all the consumers even handedly in the city. The KE officials publicly maintain that in areas where consumers pay their electricity bills , there is hardly any loadshedding. But in neighbourhoods where recovery is low, people face loadshedding over eight hours -- just to adjust recovery losses or maintain the profit margin..

I do not believe it will be heard in our corrupt governmental corridors but the truth is it is time to renationalise the K-Electric for the sake of public.

By

Editorial, Infocus