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Final Report
June, 2014
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS 503, Anum Estate, Opp. Duty Free Shop, Main Shahrah-e-Faisal, Karachi.
Phones: 9221-34311466, 34311467, Fax: 9221-34311467.
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Website: www.emc.com.pk
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)
“Grade Separated Traffic Improvement
Plan from Park Tower Intersection to
A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful
Disclaimer:
This report has Attorney – Client Privilege. Environmental Management Consultants has prepared this
report based on the Information provided by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) – the Proponent.
The comments, recommendations and conclusion of the study given in the report should be taken as
considered opinion of the Consultant since these are based on the findings of the EIA and the Traffic Study
conducted by a third party whose statistics were used to evaluate the feasibility of the project. This report
is for the sole and specific use of KMC. Any other person who uses any information contained herein will
do so at his/her own risk. This report cannot be used in the court of law for any negotiation or
standardization.
© Environmental Management Consultants 2014
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
Page i of vii Environmental Management Consultants
Execut ive Summary
The existing road network of Karachi caters to the movement of vehicular traffic from the Port area/
Central Business District (CBD) to the east and northeast. It only marginally addresses the situation
created by the centrifugal forces comprising the population pressure and economic development
due to which the megapolis has expanded in all directions including the waterfront area of Clifton
and the DHA.
On the other hand the centripetal forces comprising safety, security risk and deficiencies in the
governance system including traffic management have induced reversal in trend inwards to the
environs of the CBD and coastal area. The latter force has been given a boost by the decision of the
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to densify the built environment along the main arteries in
CBD which includes the Clifton area.
The decision to densify the CBD was in response to the growing economy and consumption pattern.
Housing sector and hence the building industry is so far among the best instruments to stimulate the
economy of the countries the world over. The centrifugal force that drove the population resident in
the core areas to areas outside the CBD is now yielding to the centripetal force in that there are
scores of people who are seeking residence in the core areas. Building of high risers in the form of
residential and commercial buildings only temporarily responded to sustain the equilibrium between
the centrifugal and centripetal forces. In realization of the demand to further densify the CBD, the
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) allowed construction of building of over 50 meter height. A
number of buildings whose height exceeds 100 metres including Bahria Icon Tower which will have
270 metres height; while at least 84 buildings that have height more than 50m. In Karachi there are at
least 30 skyscrapers which are currently under construction, and planned to rise at least 70 m.
Advantage of this allowance was taken by builders and developers e.g. Dolmen City, Park Tower,
Bahria Icon Tower, COM-3, Riviera 70 who have gone ahead with the construction of residential and
commercial buildings on main arterials and along the 3-9m contour line that runs from Cape Monze
to Gharo.
Clifton area is inhabited by residential developments, shopping centers, schools, consulates and the
sandy beach. Clifton roads provide major access to DHA through the 26th Commercial Street,
Zamzama Boulevard, Khayaban-e-Hafiz and Sea View Road. The traffic generated from residential
and commercial establishments from within DHA causes congestion on the existing Clifton road
network. However, the existing transport network of Clifton is old, with no new road network
enhancement programs initiated in the recent past. Clifton area has high car ownership ratio as
compared to other parts of the city, with little public transport facilities. The constant increase in traffic
on the existing infrastructure contributes significantly to congestion along many of the street
corridors.
Accordingly all approach roads heading towards low risk areas have assumed tremendous
importance. The traffic movement from the Port and outskirts of CBD are taking low risk routes. It is
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
Page ii of vii Environmental Management Consultants
this type of force that has induced and promoted development of residential and commercial centres
on Sharah-e-Firdousi, Shahra-e-Iran, Clifton road, 26th street, Khayaban-e-Sadi, Khayaban-e-Ghalib,
Khayaban-e-Sahil and other arterials. The result is that the said arterials are bearing the brunt of
heavy congestion which in turn has been on an increase during the past decade.
The environmental assessment process described in this document has evaluated the environmental
impacts of proposed “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T.
Naqvi Roundabout.” The proposed Traffic Improvement Plan comprises: i) flyover along 26th
street/shahrahe firdausi, ii) improved traffic management at A.T. Naqvi chowk under the above
flyover, iii) underpasses for entry/exit movements to/from Bahria Town Icon tower and Clifton
funland, iv) interchange between shahrahe Iran and shahrah firdausi near Park Towers intersection
leading to 2-Talwar intersection, v) other at-grade improvements for better traffic management in the
corridor of impact, and vi) provision of a number of grade-separated pedestrian crossings at
important locations.
The project responds to the emerging need of traffic management resulting from continuity of
development activities sought by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) in the Clifton area. There
has been continuous increase in the volume of vehicular traffic while the project area is constrained
by capacity of the roads. The activities in the Project area are likely to entail a tremendous increase in
Trip attraction/generation rates for which a master plan must be in hand to forecast the traffic
movement and its handling.
Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Review of EIA/IEE) Regulation 2000 define Schedules (I &
II) of projects in terms of requirement of EIA or IEE. As per Schedule I (List of projects requiring an IEE),
Category I (3) Urban Development Projects, the subject Project: “Grade Separated Traffic
Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”, falls in the category of
projects that requires Initial Environmental Examination (IEE). An IEE was duly submitted in fulfilment
of the requirement of the above regulation and it was also approved by the competent authority
(Sindh EPA). Work was started after obtaining the approval and had to be restrained when a petition
was filed against the categorization of project. The petition had taken the plea that this Project came
within paragraph D:2 of Schedule II and hence an EIA was necessary. This reads as follows: “Federal or
Provincial highways or major roads (except maintenance, rebuilding or reconstruction of existing
roads) with total cost of Rs. 50 million and above.” Accordingly the Honorable High Court considered
it necessary to reexamine the status of categorization by conducting an EIA. This report has therefore
reconsidered the status of the project and its severity in terms of negative and positive impact.
Mitigation measures will have to be provided to contain the emissions and other negative impacts
that may arise during the course of construction and subsequent operation.
It may be reiterated that the environmental assessment is concerned with the management/
implementation of the Traffic Improvement Plan. The exceedence of cost over Rs. 50 million will be
the cost that the KMC will have to bear for improvement of quality of life. The main aim of the Traffic
Improvement Plan being facilitation of travel demand in the microenvironment of the recreation area
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at Clifton, the project remains in the category of “urban development projects”. Accordingly the
submission and approval of an IEE is justified. This EIA has reexamined the assessments made earlier,
has taken the stakeholders on board, addressed to their concerns and has found that sustainability of
the project lies in following the mitigation measures in letter and spirit.
The Project responds to the need of the segment of population that is seeking safety, security and
improvement in quality of life. Availability of infrastructure facilities for establishment of residential
cum commercial complexes and their location on low risk area ideally suits the building industry.
The project has responded to the need emerging from creation of High Density Zone and the
consequent necessity to improve the Traffic management in the different zones vide “The Sindh High
Density Development Board Act, 2010”. The High Density Development Board was created under
Section 3 of the Act, while Section 4 of the Act empowered the Board to identify and earmark the
high-density zones in the urban centres of the cities of the Province as per the defined procedure. It is
pertinent to mention here that high density zones were created to respond to the centripetal forces
that had developed during the process of rapid urbanization.
A Traffic Impact Assessment study was initiated as per the recommendations of the Sindh High
Density Development Board that was held on December 22, 2011 under the chairmanship of
Honorable Governer Sindh. The recommendations mandated the proponents of high risers to
develop a traffic management plan taking all the stakeholders on board. The Traffic Impact
Assessment (TIA) study was complete in July 2012; it focussed on mitigation and transport
improvement of the areas adjacent to the main high risers including Bahria Icon. The report primarily
focused on addressing the prevailing traffic & transport situation in the microenvironment and
suggested mitigation measures to address the situation so created.
The screening process has taken cognizance of i) the persistence of environmental degradation on
said intersections resulting from the decision to convert the area into a ‘High-Rise-Zone’ without
conducting Strategic Environmental & Social Assessment (SESA) which is now a mandatory
requirement under Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014, ii) rapid development that does not go
hand in hand with sustainability principles, iii) Proceeding from IEE to Environmental Impact
Assessment following Honorable Sindh High Court Order, iv) Traffic Impact Assessment study
conducted by KMC for the Clifton area, v) Increase in the Complexity of the operation of traffic
resulting from high risers and accomodation of the squatter settlements, and the weak geological
structure on which the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Mahadev Mandir and Jahangir Kothari Parade
are located, vi) the residual impact after construction and during operation of the traffic on the roads
to see if the project has achieved its objectives, and vii) Guidelines for classification of polluted and
unpolluted sites with respect to their airshed, watershed, soil, sensitivity of ecosystem including fauna,
flora, wildlife, aquatic life, historical, cultural & archaeological sites and their values have been
reviewed.
The current situation is that the excavation work for laying the foundation of the underpass and
flyover has been halfway through. The construction work was underway when there was intervention
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
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from some of the stakeholders. The construction work had to be stopped as per High Court Orders
leaving the site for underpasses and flyover in unaesthetic condition. The stoppage of work has had
serious impact on the business and commercial activities in the surrounding and also on the project
financers. The stakeholders in the surrounding particularly the management of the Ratneshwar
Mahadev Mandir and Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine have demanded immediate resumption of the
construction activity and its completion before the onset of the monsoons.
The following are the findings of environmental audit which inter alia provides the current status of
the project:
The construction activity which was started in March after the approval of IEE and stopped following
the High Court Orders has significantly slowed down all businesses and has negatively impacted the
business and commercial activities in the shopping areas. The temporary loss of business so incurred
has resulted in grievances from the concerned business operators. The stakeholders were not
opposed to the Traffic Improvement Plan but they sought immediate resumption/completion of the
project.
The shop owners/business operators are particularly concerned about the slow down of business
during the Monsoons and peak season of Ramadan. The apprehensions in this regard were conveyed
to the monitoring team. There is therefore need for implementation of the Traffic Management Plan
that may ensure resumption of business activity. It is recommended that the KMC must maintain an
active liaison with the commercial enterprises.
At the outset it may be stated that the ridge on which the Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir, Abdullah
Shah Ghazi Mazar and Jahangir Kothari Parade are located is on the triple point where seismic activity
is continuously producing shocks that are below magnitude IV on Richter scale. The ridge falls at the
end of the deltaic synclinorium which is under tectonic pressure from the Indian Plate due to which
there is continuous movement at a rate of 4-6 cm/year. The two historical structures are either on top
of the hill or in the cave. As such they are only weakly grounded. Any subsequent structure
introduced in this scenario will have to take such mitigation measures that can withstand the
geological structure and seismic activity. Such being the case the proponent is following the
recommended mitigation measures which include construction of bored reinforced concrete piles
and following the requirements of seismic zone 2B.
It was observed that the excavation of land did not take cognizance of having a buffer zone between
the sensitive structures and the Corridor. Since a buffer zone is mandatory by law, there is need for
immediate redressal by reversing the damages done and maintaining the mandatory buffer zone
specified by the Law or finding an alternative design which bypasses the sensitive structures and
monuments leaving sufficient space for their protection.
The cumulative impact of construction activity on weak structures has to be taken into consideration
and conservation measures should be provided to strengthen the weak structures in the
neighborhood. Such measures have been recognized for Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar which is located
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
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on top of the hill but has not been extended to the depth of the cave in which Mahadev Mandir is
located. The proponent is committed to adopt conservation measures to protect all the structures
particularly those which are not well grounded for e.g., Mahadev Mandir which is in the cave.
The proponent must give top priority to the recommended conservation measures and formulate a
plan in consultation with the Management of Mahadev Mandir and Jahangir Kothari Parade
(Heritage). What is needed is the consolidation of the weak geological structure of the cave without
disturbing the sanctity and hydrogeology of the microsite.
Safety issues seem to receive low priority at the construction site as was observed by the monitoring
team. Health, Safety and Environment are major components of the Environmental Management Plan
(EMP) of which monitoring of the environmental performance is an integral part. The proponent has
to ensure strict adherence to the measures and guidelines stated in the EMP and the contractor must
be made to follow the Standard Operating Procedures for construction activities.
A traffic diversion plan was prepared but the implementation was weak which resulted in
inconvenience to road users during the construction stage. It was also not shared with the
stakeholders in the neighborhood. This was cause for complaints from road users and also the public
in the neighborhood. It was observed that the traffic diversion plan was still not being followed, for
example the information on closure of the access roads and alternate routes were not shared with the
public particularly the concerned citizens. Following measures are therefore required to be
implemented: i) Maintain the service roads in good condition to allow smooth traffic movement;
provide necessary personnel to guide and control the traffic; ii) Provide alternative traffic
arrangement/detours so that traffic can be distributed and move on different roads; and, ensure that
public/residents association is informed about such traffic diversions, iii) Provide information to the
public through media – daily news papers and local cable television (TV) services about the need and
schedule of work, and alternative routes, iv) To maintain transparency of the project, public
information/caution boards must be provided at the work site information shall inter-alia include:
project name, cost and schedule; executing agency and contractor details; nature and schedule of
work; traffic diversion details, if any; entry restriction information; competent official’s name and
contact information for public complaints.
During the construction phase, impacts mainly arise from generation of dust from soil excavation and
refilling; and from the disturbance of residents, businesses, traffic and important buildings by the
construction work. These are common impacts of construction in urban areas, and there are well
developed methods for their mitigation. Among these, public and worker safety due to large scale
construction using heavy-duty construction equipment, traffic disturbance during construction is
considered to be significant.
Important measures suggested include: i) dust control measures such as water sprinkling and
covering the loose material during transport, ii) proper planning and scheduling of noise generating
activities, iii) maintaining service roads and pedestrian walks in good condition and provision of
personnel to guide traffic, iv) providing alternative traffic routes/detours and informing public about
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
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the same, v) following standard and safe construction practices (barricading the site properly;
avoiding accidental traffic entry including pedestrians; deployment of safety and security staff;
providing warning/sign boards; provision of protection equipment; special precautions during risky
works like arranging the pre-cast elements and equipment safety checks, etc.)
The proposed infrastructure at the designated sites would not add to degradation. Contrarily it would
help relieve congestion and thus reduce the accumulation of pollutants commonly observed at traffic
intersections. Thus there would be a positive impact of the Project in so far as the overall level of air
and noise pollution in the CoI is concerned.
The likely impact owing to siting the Project in Seismic Zone that is placed between Zone 2 and Zone
3, corresponding to Magnitude between 5.0 and 6.5 on Richter Scale and Intensity between VII and IX
on Modified Mercallis Scale, the Ground Force in terms of Assumed Approximate Acceleration
equivalent of 0.3 g would be adopted.
To offset the impact of liquefaction/subsidence appropriate mitigation measures would be adopted
by construction of bored reinforced concrete piles to the depth of hard rocks with RQD values greater
than 50%. The piles of the piers/columns of the flyovers would be laid at depth of sandstone which
are hard and pose minimum risk to the liquefaction/subsidence threat during major (> 7 on Richter
Scale) earthquake.
Once the construction is over, the Project will function without any major maintenance so no major
impacts envisaged. Operation of the Project will, on adoption of the mitigation measures, have
reduced significance of impact on the physical as well as socioeconomic structure of the
microenvironment and macroenvironment of its corridor of impact (CoI). The impact on the
aesthetics, if any, will be mitigated through careful planning and land/street-scaping in collaboration
with concerned stakeholders.
The proposed Project, when commissioned, would be integrated into the concerned
microenvironment and will become a friendly component of its macroenvironment. The nature of
Project, its siting; adoption of adequate measures to minimize waste and control pollution during
construction as well as operation stages of the project will have residual impact of low significance on
the microenvironment and macroenvironment as well as on precious ecology.
Construction of flyover and underpasses at the proposed sites and operation of vehicular traffic is not
expected to have unacceptable/significant impact on the aesthetics of the microenvironment and
macroenvironment. The impact, if identified, will be mitigated through careful planning, suitable
landscaping and adopting appropriate mitigation measures, besides providing a monitoring and
contingency plan.
Mitigation will be assured by a program of environmental monitoring conducted to ensure that all
measures are provided as intended, and to determine whether the environment is protected as
envisaged. This will include observations on and off site, document checks, and interviews with
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
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workers and beneficiaries, and any requirements for remedial action will be reported to the EPA
Sindh.
There are two essential recommendations that need to be followed to ensure that the environmental
impacts of the project are successfully mitigated.The Implementing Agency (KMC) shall ensure that:
All mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures proposed in this EIA report are
implemented in full, as described in the document;
The Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan is implemented in letter and spirit.
Screening of potential impact suggests that proposed “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan
from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout” will, on adoption of the suggested
mitigation measures, be an environmentally acceptable proposition.
Furthermore the Project will achieve the prime objectives of sustainable development in facilitating
safe, secure and speedy travel along the main intersection viz. Park Tower and A.T. Naqvi chowk,
besides upgrading and modernizing the infrastructure facilities of the fast growing section by
identifying the bottlenecks and removing the constraints to smooth flow of traffic.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
Table of Contents
Environmental Management Consultants
TA B LE OF C ON T E N T S
SECTION 01: INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 1 OF 10
1.1 The Project ................................................................................................................................. 1 of 10
1.1.1 Name of the Project ..................................................................................................... 1 of 10
1.1.2 Location of Project ........................................................................................................ 1 of 10
1.1.3 Brief Description of Project ........................................................................................... 1 of 10
1.2 Project Proponent ..................................................................................................................... 1 of 10
1.2.1 Contact Person ............................................................................................................................................ 1 of 10
1.3 Objectives of the Project .......................................................................................................... 1 of 10
1.4 Justification of Project ............................................................................................................. 2 of 10
1.5 Project Background .................................................................................................................. 4 of 10
1.6 The EIA Study ............................................................................................................................. 6 of 10
1.6.1 Purpose of EIA ............................................................................................................................................. 6 of 10
1.6.2 Categorization of Project ........................................................................................................................ 7 of 10
1.7 Methodology for Environmental Assessment ...................................................................... 8 of 10
1.7.1 Site Visits ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 of 10
1.7.2 Literature Review/Baseline ..................................................................................................................... 8 of 10
1.7.3 Project Specific Data ................................................................................................................................. 9 of 10
1.7.4 Impact Identification and Assessment .............................................................................................. 9 of 10
1.7.5 Mitigation Measures & Environmental Management Plan ....................................................... 9 of 10
1.7.6 Documentation ........................................................................................................................................... 9 of 10
1.7.7 Environmental Standards and Guidelines ........................................................................................ 9 of 10
1.8 Structure of EIA Report .......................................................................................................... 10 of 10
1.9 EIA Study Team ........................................................................................................................ 10 of 10
SECTION 02: POLICY, STATUTORY & INSTITUTIONAL
FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................ 1 OF 23
2.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 of 23
2.1 Policy Framework ...................................................................................................................... 1 of 23
2.2 Statutory Framework ................................................................................................................ 3 of 23
2.3 Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014 ........................................................................... 4 of 23
2.4 Environment & Alternate Energy Department ..................................................................... 6 of 23
2.5 National Environmental Quality Standards......................................................................... 11 of 23
2.6 Pak-EPA Review of IEE and EIA Regulations 2000 ............................................................. 14 of 23
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
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2.7 Pakistan Environmental Assessment Procedures ............................................................... 15 of 23
2.8 Cutting of Trees Act, 1992 ..................................................................................................... 18 of 23
2.9 Building Control and Town Planning Regulations ............................................................. 18 of 23
2.10 Sindh High Density Development Act 2010 ........................................................................ 19 of 23
2.11 Archaeological Relics .............................................................................................................. 19 of 23
SECTION 03: DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT............................... 1 OF 23
3.1 Project Background .................................................................................................................. 1 of 23
3.2 The Project ................................................................................................................................. 3 of 23
3.3 Current Situation ....................................................................................................................... 4 of 23
3.4 Technical Details of Project ................................................................................................... 13 of 23
3.4.1 Geometric Design .................................................................................................................................... 13 of 23
3.4.2 Design Standards ..................................................................................................................................... 13 of 23
3.4.3 Vertical Alignment ................................................................................................................................... 13 of 23
3.4.4 Combination of Horizontal and Vertical Alignment ................................................................. 13 of 23
3.4.5 Bus Stop/Bays ............................................................................................................................................ 14 of 23
3.4.6 Pedestrian Crossings .............................................................................................................................. 14 of 23
3.4.7 Drainage ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 of 23
3.4.8 Appurtenances/Furniture ...................................................................................................................... 14 of 23
3.4.9 Pavement Design ..................................................................................................................................... 14 of 23
3.4.10 Traffic Capacity of Road in terms of Passenger Car Unit per day......................................... 15 of 23
3.4.11 Design Provisions ..................................................................................................................................... 15 of 23
3.4.12 Design Loadings ....................................................................................................................................... 15 of 23
3.4.13 Pre-Stressing for Bridge ........................................................................................................................ 17 of 23
3.4.14 Controlling Stress Values ...................................................................................................................... 17 of 23
3.4.15 Ramp Configuration ............................................................................................................................... 17 of 23
3.5 Manpower requirements ........................................................................................................ 17 of 23
3.6 Amount of material required for construction ................................................................... 18 of 23
3.7 Utilities ...................................................................................................................................... 18 of 23
SECTION 04: DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENT ............................ 1 OF 60
4.1 General ........................................................................................................................................ 1 of 60
4.2 Physical Environment ............................................................................................................... 6 of 60
4.2.1 Meteorology and Climate....................................................................................................................... 6 of 60
4.2.2 Temperature ................................................................................................................................................ 6 of 60
4.2.3 Precipitation ................................................................................................................................................. 8 of 60
4.2.4 Humidity ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 of 60
4.2.5 Wind Speed & Direction ....................................................................................................................... 12 of 60
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
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4.2.6 Ambient Air Quality & Noise .............................................................................................................. 13 of 60
4.2.7 Recent Changes in Monsoon Pattern .............................................................................................. 17 of 60
4.2.8 Terrestrial Environment: Geology Geomorphology & Seismotectonics ............................ 18 of 60
4.2.9 Liquefaction Features Caused by Earthquake .............................................................................. 27 of 60
4.2.10 Tsunamis ...................................................................................................................................................... 27 of 60
4.2.11 Storms .......................................................................................................................................................... 28 of 60
4.2.12 Hydrology ................................................................................................................................................... 28 of 60
4.3 Biological Environment of Karachi City District ................................................................. 33 of 60
4.3.1 Vegetation of Karachi City District .................................................................................................... 33 of 60
4.3.2 Fauna of Karachi City District .............................................................................................................. 35 of 60
4.3.3 Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology ............................................................................................................ 37 of 60
4.3.4 Biodiversity ................................................................................................................................................. 37 of 60
4.3.5 Fauna, Endangered Species, Protected Areas .............................................................................. 38 of 60
4.4 Karachi Transportation System ............................................................................................. 38 of 60
4.4.1 Traffic Demand Forecast Studies ....................................................................................................... 41 of 60
4.4.2 Future Travel Demand ........................................................................................................................... 43 of 60
4.5 Degradation of Karachi City Environment by Transportation System .......................... 45 of 60
4.5.1 Air and Noise Quality Deterioration ................................................................................................. 45 of 60
4.5.2 Noise Pollution from Transportation ............................................................................................... 46 of 60
4.5.3 Total Emissions from Different Fuel Usage .................................................................................... 46 of 60
4.6 Road Network in and around Project Area ............................................................................. 47 of 60
4.6.1 Existing Traffic Situation on Major Roads ...................................................................................... 51 of 60
4.7 Socio-Economic Considerations in Macro environment of Project Area ...................... 57 of 60
4.7.1 Education .................................................................................................................................................... 57 of 60
4.7.2 Water Supply ............................................................................................................................................. 57 of 60
4.7.3 Surface Drainage and Sewerage System ........................................................................................ 58 of 60
4.7.4 Electricity Supply ...................................................................................................................................... 58 of 60
4.7.5 Commercial and Residential Buildings ............................................................................................ 58 of 60
4.7.6 Health ........................................................................................................................................................... 59 of 60
4.7.7 Employment ............................................................................................................................................... 59 of 60
4.7.8 Landscaping ............................................................................................................................................... 59 of 60
4.7.9 Shrines, Temples & Heritage ............................................................................................................... 59 of 60
4.7.10 Archaeological Sites ................................................................................................................................ 59 of 60
4.7.11 Economy ...................................................................................................................................................... 60 of 60
4.7.12 Shopping Centres .................................................................................................................................... 60 of 60
SECTION 05: STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION .............................. 1 OF 17
5.1 Objectives of Stakeholders Consultation .................................................................................. 1 of 17
5.2 Identification of Stakeholders..................................................................................................... 1 of 17
5.3 Consultation Process .................................................................................................................... 2 of 17
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5.4 Proceedings of Consultation Meetings ..................................................................................... 2 of 17
5.4.1 Observations/views expressed by the residents............................................................................ 2 of 17
5.4.2 Observations/views expressed by business operators ............................................................... 3 of 17
5.4.3 Observations/views expressed by Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir Management ............ 11 of 17
5.4.4 Observations/views expressed by the Stakeholders .................................................................. 12 of 17
SECTION 06: SCREENING OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS & MITIGATION MEASURES ............................................... 1 OF 30
6.1 Screening Process ...................................................................................................................... 1 of 30
6.2 Checklist for Screening of Likely Impacts .............................................................................. 6 of 30
6.3 Screening of Potential Environmental Impacts at Designing Stage ................................. 8 of 30
6.4 Potential Environmental Impacts due to Siting of Project ............................................... 12 of 30
6.5 Screening of Potential Environmental Impacts at Construction Stage .......................... 14 of 30
6.6 Screening of Potential Environmental Impacts at Operation Stage ............................... 25 of 30
6.7 Checklist of Actions Affecting Environment & Significance of Their Impact ................ 27 of 30
SECTION 07: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT & MONITORING
PLAN (EMMP) ............................................................................................ 1 OF 12
7.1 Functions and Responsibilities ................................................................................................ 1 of 12
7.2 Environmental Management Plan .......................................................................................... 4 of 12
7.3 Environmental Monitoring Plan.............................................................................................. 4 of 12
7.4 Grievance Redress Mechanism ................................................................................................ 5 of 12
7.4.1 Framework for Grievance Redress Mechanism .............................................................................. 5 of 12
7.4.2 Environmental Regulations .................................................................................................................... 5 of 12
7.4.3 Outline of Mechanism for Grievance Redress ................................................................................ 5 of 12
SECTION 08: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ................. 1 OF 1
APPENDICES
Appendix I : Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) Study
Appendix II : Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014
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Sect ion 01: Introduct ion
1 . 1 T h e Pro je c t
1 . 1 . 1 N a m e o f t h e P ro j e c t
Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout.
1 . 1 . 2 L o c a t i o n o f P ro j e c t
Land area enclosed by Sharah-e-Firdousi, Shahrah-e-Iran, Clifton road, 26thstreet, Khayaban-e-Sadi,
Khayaban-e-Ghalib and Khayaban-e-Sahil as shown in figure 1.1.
1 . 1 . 3 B r i e f D e s c r i p t i o n o f P ro j e c t
The proposed Traffic Improvement Plan comprises: i) Flyover along 26th Street/Shahrah-e-Firdausi
providing for uninterrupted traffic movements along Shahrah-e-Firdausi from DHA/Khayaban-e-
Ittehad side towards A.T.Naqvi Chowk (Intersecton) and onwards to Bin Qasim Park along with a
direct access to the Bahria Town Icon Tower by means of an exclusive down ramp, ii) Improved traffic
management at A.T. Naqvi Chowk under the above Flyover, iii) Underpasses for entry/exit movements
to/from Bahria Town Icon Tower and Clifton Funland without any interruption to the through
movements on main Shahrah-e-Firdausi, iv) Interchange between Shahrah-e-Iran and Shahrah-e-
Firdausi near Park Towers Intersection leading to 2-Talwar Intersection, v) Other at-grade
improvements for better traffic management in the entire area, and vi) Provision of a number of
grade-separated pedestrian crossings at important locations.
1 . 2 Pro je c t Prop on e n t
The project proponent is Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
1 . 2 . 1 C o n t a c t P e r s o n
Director General (Technical)
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)
1 . 3 Ob je c t i v e s o f th e Pro jec t
The main objective of the project is to provide a master plan for management of traffic in the project
area and propose flyover and underpasses wherever necessary to de-congest the traffic taking due
consideration of the centripetal forces that are likely to be dominant in the foreseeable future.
The other objectives include:
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Facilitating safe, secure and speedy travel along the main intersection viz. Park Tower and A.T.
Naqvi chowk;
Upgrading and modernizing the infrastructure facilities of the fast growing section by identifying
the bottlenecks and removing the constraints to smooth flow of traffic;
Reducing traffic noise and air pollution due to idling of vehicles at the signalized intersections.
1 . 4 J u s t i f i ca t i on o f Pro je c t
The project responds to the need of traffic management that has emerged consequent upon and
subsequent to the continuous densification of the residential areas and commercialization of major
roads. Clifton area, with relatively much higher car ownership ratio compared with other parts of the
city, and with little public transport facilities on too inadequate infrastructure is facing significant
congestion along many of the street corridors. Of particular concern is the restraint on easy access
from two swords roundabout, Bilawal House and other directions and to Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s
shrine, Bahria Town Icon building, Kothari Parade, Bagh Ibne Qasim and Clifton Funland, and to the
sandy beach.
The Project is justified in view of i) the mismatch between volume of vehicular traffic that has
increased in consonance with densification, and provision of corresponding infrastructure facilities, &
ii) the extra burden on the existing transport infrastructure by the traffic operating on the major
accesses to Karachi and DHA through Clifton.
In view of the need to address the growing transport infrastructure problems of Clifton area a Review
of the Traffic Profile of Clifton Area was carried out in 2012 to assess the issues and propose solutions.
The options considered as solution to the problem included conversion of two-way streets into one-
way and grade separation. The option of making existing two-way streets into one-way was not
recommended, while options for grade separating the existing at-grade intersections were modeled.
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Figure 1.1: Location of Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout
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1 . 5 Pro je c t B a c kgro un d
The City of Karachi has overgrown its capacity to manage and provide good quality of life to its
citizens with the result that its Transport and Communication system remains deficient and far
exceeds vehicle:capacity (v/c ratio). Construction of flyovers, underpasses and interchanges has only
partly addressed the grave concern. The process of continuous review, identification of deficiencies
and suggested maintenance as well as expansion is usually carried out through a master plan.
However such a process has never been successfully carried out. The environmental and social
concerns with respect to operation of traffic on road have therefore remained unsustainable.
The network of arteries and link roads was consequently neither restructured nor reorganized to suit
to the changing demand of users and services. The shortcomings that emerged from ad-hoc
planning in transport management together with the lack of vision to control movement of vehicular
traffic and congestion of roads, have spelled on the pace of growth and also in visible degeneration
of transport sector in and environmental degradation of the roadways of the ever growing
Metropolis.
The existing road network of Karachi caters to the movement of traffic from the Port area/Central
Business District (CBD) to the east. It has however only marginally addressed the situation presented
by the centrifugal forces representing population pressure and economic development which has
expanded in all directions including the Clifton area. On the other hand the centripetal forces
comprising safety, security risk and deficiencies in the governance system including traffic
management have induced reversal in trend inwards to the environs of the Port and CBD. Accordingly
all approach roads heading towards low risk areas have assumed tremendous importance. The traffic
movement from the Port and outskirts of CBD are taking low risk routes. It is this type of force that
has induced and promoted development of residential and commercial centres on Sharah-e-Firdousi,
Shahra-e-Iran, Clifton road, 26th street, Khayaban-e-Sadi, Khayaban-e-Ghalib, Khayaban-e-Sahil and
other arterials. The result is that the said arterials are bearing the brunt of heavy congestion which in
turn has been on an increase during the past decade.
It may be reiterated that stimulation of the economy of the country lies in the housing sector and
hence in the building industry. Other sectors are not likely to help the economy as much as would the
housing sector. Moreover the centrifugal force that has been driving the population resident in the
core areas is also being followed by the centripetal force in that there are scores of people who are
seeking residence in the core areas. Building of high risers in the form of residential and commercial
buildings responds just to sustain the equilibrium between the centrifugal and centripetal forces.
The Project responds to the need of the segment of population that is seeking safety, security and
improvement in quality of life. Availability of infrastructure facilities for establishment of residential
cum commercial complexes and their location on low risk area ideally suits the building industry.
Advantage of this aspect has already been taken by other builders and developers (e.g. Dolmen City,
Park Tower, Bahria Icon Tower, COM-3, Riviera 70) who have gone ahead with the construction of
residential and commercial ventures these arterials.
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According to a study carried out by CDGK and now KMC, the capacity of roads in Karachi City during
day time had in the year 2007 exceeded by 6 to 29 times; on major corridors. The present position
with regard to traffic on the arterials of concern in the project area namely: Korangi Road –Submarine
Chowk–Schon Circle–Boat Basin–Mai Kolachi–Do Talwar Roundabout–Bilawal House Chowrangi–
Shirin Jinnah Colony–Park Tower–26th Street–Clifton Seashore Promenadeis that with six fold increase
in traffic volume the capacity of roads has been far exceeded.
There has been an addition of about 800 mini-trucks, 4000 vans and pick up, 30,000 rickshaws, 52,000
private vehicles and 190,000 motorcycles on the already congested roads of Karachi during the year
2011as shown in the Table 1.1. The distance which can be covered within 10 to 15 minutes takes six
times as much, or one hour to one and a half hour during day time. Such traffic conditions have
raised the economic cost of operating vehicular traffic by a factor of 1.5-2.0 for cars and 2.0-2.2 for
buses. That raises the environmental cost as well because with idling running engines there is an
increase in the volume of air pollutants from the vehicles. This critical situation has besides raising the
environmental/social cost turned the traffic volume : road capacity towards non-sustainability. The
emerging situation identifies an urgent need to have a master plan for the areas of concern. Karachi
roads/arterials need to be decongested at all critical traffic intersections to facilitate vehicular
movement at reasonable speed.
Table 1.1: Total Number of Vehicles Registered / On Road in Karachi – 2011
S. No. Type of Vehicle
To
tal R
eg
iste
red
on
Ro
ad
up
to
31-
12-2
010
Newly Registered During the Year
2011
To
tal R
eg
iste
red
on
Ro
ad
2011 (
Co
l.
4+
5+
6+
7)
To
tal R
eg
iste
red
on
Ro
ad
up
to
31
-
12-2
011 (
Co
l. 3+
*)
Jan
uary
-
Marc
h
Ap
ril -
Jun
e
July
–
Sep
tem
ber
Oct
ob
er
-
Dece
mb
er
1 Mini Bus 15,452 101 99 65 90 355 15,807
2 Buses 6,458 7 47 13 101 48 6,506
3 Mini Truck 11,876 284 221 138 105 748 12,624
4 Truck 14,759 436 203 59 131 829 15,588
5 Van/Pickup 99,077 2,018 2,239 1,361 1,402 7,020 104,097
6 Taxi 47,170 16 2 1 20 5 47,165
7 Rickshaw 74,334 6,981 6,088 10,102 8,179 31,350 105,684
8 Lifter 2,812 12 17 43 17 89 2,901
9 Tractor 3,364 54 49 40 28 171 3,535
10 Oil Tanker 2,663 76 46 68 23 213 2,876
11 Pvt. Vehicles 946,733 14,073 14,209 12,228 11,677 52,187 998,920
12 Motor Cycles 1,105,232 69,309 45,601 40,090 36,249 191,249 1,296,481
13 Ambulance 1,728 9 34 38 23 104 1,832
14 Coffin Carrier 69 - - - 2 2 71
15 Disable Person 98 1 - - - - 99
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16 Catholic Trust 113 1 - - 1 - 113
17 School Bus 244 1 3 1 1 3 246
18 Church 38 2 2 - 1 3 35
Grand
Total 2,330,220
2,614,580
1 . 6 T h e EI A S tu dy
1 . 6 . 1 P u r p o s e o f E I A
The EIA study provides a review of the environmental conditions and evaluates the current status of
the physical environment and ecology, along with the prevailing socioeconomic conditions. The main
purpose of this EIA study is to ensure that:
Any major adverse impact on the environment and social conditions during its different stages
viz. pre-construction construction and operations are identified.
Appropriate and adequate mitigation measures are suggested to minimize the severity of adverse
impacts, and
Environment Management Plan for sustainable operation of the Project is proposed
The EIA study responds to:
Orders of the Honorable High Court of Sindh which has taken congnizance of a petition and
issued an order to stop the work forthwith and resubmit an environmental report in the form of
EIA for consideration by Sindh EPA;
Section 17 of Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014 which requires that every new
development project in Pakistan has to be preceded by an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)
or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) depending on the nature and severity of impacts
anticipated on commissioning of the project.
PEPA 1997, requires the Project Proponents to follow the procedures set out in Pakistan
Environmental Protection Agency (Review of IEE and EIA) Regulations 2000.
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Figure 1.2: EIA/IEE Process in Pakistan
1 . 6 . 2 C a t e g o r i z a t i o n o f P ro j e c t
Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Review of EIA/IEE) Regulation 2000 define Schedules (I &
II) of projects in terms of requirement of EIA or IEE. As per Schedule I (List of projects requiring an IEE),
Category I (3) Urban Development Projects, the subject Project: “Grade Separated Traffic
Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”, falls in the category of
projects that requires Initial Environmental Examination (IEE). An IEE was duly submitted in fulfilment
of the requirement of the above regulation and it was also approved by the competent authority
(Sindh EPA). Work was started after obtaining the approval and had to be restrained when a petition
was filed against the categorization of project. The petition had taken the plea that this Project came
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within paragraph D:2 of Schedule II and hence an EIA was necessary. This reads as follows: “Federal or
Provincial highways or major roads (except maintenance, rebuilding or reconstruction of existing
roads) with total cost of Rs. 50 million and above.” Accordingly the Honorable High Court considered
it necessary to reexamine the status of categorization by conducting an EIA. This report has therefore
reconsidered the status of the project and its severity in terms of negative and positive impact.
Mitigation measures will have to be provided to contain the emissions and other negative impacts
that may arise during the course of construction and subsequent operation.
It may be reiterated that the environmental assessment is concerned with the management/
implementation of the Traffic Improvement Plan. The exceedence of cost over Rs. 50 million will be
the cost that the KMC will have to bear for improvement of quality of life. The main aim of the Traffic
Improvement Plan being facilitation of travel demand in the microenvironment of the recreation area
at Clifton, the project remains in the category of “urban development projects”. Accordingly the
submission and approval of an IEE is justified. This EIA has reexamined the assessments made earlier,
has taken the stakeholders on board, addressed to their concerns and has found that sustainability of
the project lies in following the mitigation measures in letter and spirit.
1 .7 M e th od o l og y fo r E n v i ro n me n ta l A s se s s me n t
This study has covered all major areas of concern as per regulatory requirements. Scope of the EIA
study included collection of data from different sources, development of baseline of the current
physical, ecological and social baseline of the area through surveys. In general, the study has been
conducted in accordance with the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Review of EIA and IEE
Regulations, 2000 and guidelines provided therein. Following screening of potential environmental
impacts, the requirement for mitigation measures to address the adverse impacts is presented. The
Report includes the Monitoring Program that will be implemented during the construction and
operation phase.
Preparation of this Report has adopted the following methodology:
1 . 7 . 1 S i t e Vi s i t s
EMC’s team visited the project site(s) and its vicinity for conducting site survey to collect primary
baseline data with respect to social and environmental aspects.
1 . 7 . 2 L i t e r a t u r e R e v i e w / B a s e l i n e
Available published literature and previous EIAs/IEEs on the subject have been reviewed along with
the legislation relevant to this project in order to compile relevant information with special reference
to the physical features, ongoing social and commercial aspects, and operation of vehicular traffic at
the said intersections.
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1 . 7 . 3 P ro j e c t S p e c i f i c D a t a
Information related to design, construction & operation activities was provided by Karachi
Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
1 . 7 . 4 I m p a c t I d e n t i f i c a t i o n a n d A s s e s s m e n t
The environmental aspects emerging due to different activities during the pre-construction,
construction and operation phases were identified and their impact on the microenvironment and
macroenvironment critically examined.
1 . 7 . 5 M i t i g a t i o n M e a s u re s & E n v i ro n m e n t a l M a n a g e m e n t
P l a n
Impact assessment was supplemented by incorporating the mitigation measures required to reduce
the severity of impacts and to manage different activities within the framework of environmental
legislation and management plan. Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been prepared to
guide KMC through the lifecycle of the project, and to enable maintenance of the environmental,
social and work place conditions and for conforming to the legislations in vogue. The management
plan outlines the details required to manage environmental, safety and occupational risks arising
from the project activities as well as social issues.
1 . 7 . 6 D o c u m e n t a t i o n
Finally, the report has been prepared according to the guidelines of the Pakistan Environmental
Protection Agency. The report includes description of the Project, description of microenvironment
and macroenvironment and screening of potential environmental impact of activities during the pre-
construction, construction and operation phases.
1 . 7 . 7 E n v i ro n me n t a l S t a n d a r d s a n d G u i d e l i n e s
Environmental issues concerning protection and control are governed by Sindh Environmental
Protection Act 2014. Guidelines and procedures for preparing Environmental Assessment reports
have been published by Federal EPA in the form of “Pakistan Environmental Assessment Package”
which includes:
Legal Requirements in Pakistan for Environmental Assessment for New Projects under the
Environmental Protection Agency Sindh (SEPA)
Pakistan EPA Guidelines and Procedures (2000) for Environmental Assessment of New Projects
Pakistan National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) gaseous including vehicular exhaust
emissions; noise emissions, and liquid effluents, ambient air and
Sectoral Guidelines for Environmental Report
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1 . 8 S tr u c tu re o f E I A R ep o r t
The EIA report has been structured on the standard format, prescribed by the Pakistan Environmental
Protection Agency. The Report has been presented in the following sections:
Section 1 – Introduction and brief description of Project and EIA Processes
Section 2 – Overview of National and International Legislation and Guidelines relevant to the
proposed project and to this EIA
Section 3 – Description of Project
Section 4 – Description of Environment
Section 5 – Screening of Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures
Section 6 – Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMP)
Section 7 – Conclusions and Recommendations
1 .9 E I A S tud y Tea m
EMC organized the following team to carry out the study:
Table 1.2: EIA Study Team
S. No. Name Position
1 Syed Nadeem Arif Project Manager
2 Mr. Saquib Ejaz Hussain Environmental Assessment Specialist
3 Dr. Mirza Arshad Ali Beg Senior Environmentalist, Project Team Leader
4 Dr. M. Mansha Air Quality Monitoring (SUPARCO)
5 Ms. Tasneem Bhatti Sociologist
6 Mr. S.M. Zaman Geologist
7 Masood ur Rehman Environmental Engineer
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Sect ion 02: Pol icy , Sta tutory & Inst i tut ional
Framework
2 .0 I n tro d u c t io n
This section describes the current legal responsibilities of the Project proponent in the context of the
environment and sustainable development, and identifies the National as well as Provincial
Institutions that govern one or the other aspect of environmental management of the proposed
Project. Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the proponent of this project will comprehensively follow
the relevant requirements of policy documents, legislative framework and recommendations
described in national and international guidelines. Mitigation measures that have been proposed in
the light of relevant guidelines will be integrated in the EMP which has been formulated for the better
management of environmental as well as social aspects and residual aspects, if any.
2 .1 Po l i cy Fra me w or k
The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (NCS), which was approved by the Federal Cabinet in
March 1992, is the principal policy document for environmental issues in the country. The NCS
signifies the country’s primary approach towards encouraging sustainable development, conserving
natural resources, and improving efficiency in the use and management of resources. The NCS has 68
specific programs in 14 core areas in which policy intervention is considered crucial for the
preservation of Pakistan’s natural and physical environment. The core areas that are relevant to the
proposed project are biodiversity conservation, restoration of rangelands, pollution prevention and
abatement, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Pakistan is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and is thereby obligated to develop
a national strategy for the conservation of biodiversity. The Government of Pakistan constituted a
Biodiversity Working Group, under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment, to develop a
Biodiversity Action Plan for the country, which was completed after an extensive consultative exercise.
The plan, which has been designed to complement the NCS and the proposed provincial
conservation strategies, identifies the causes of biodiversity loss in Pakistan and suggests a series of
proposals for action to conserve biodiversity in the country. The Pakistan Environmental Protection
Council (PEPC) has approved the action plan and steering committees at the federal and provincial
levels have been formed to implement it.
Mid-term Review of NCS: Key Findings
An overview of the key environmental issues facing Pakistan is as follows:
Per capita water availability in Pakistan has been decreasing at an alarming rate. In 1951, the per
capita availability was 5300 cubic meter which has now decreased to 1105 cubic meter just
touching water scarcity level of 1000 cubic meter.
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Almost all fresh water resources are severely polluted due to discharge of untreated industrial and
municipal wastes. Pollution of coastal waters due to waste discharges and oil spills coupled with
reduced freshwater flows is resulting in declining fish yields.
About 55 percent of population has access to a relatively safe drinking water source. Potable
water quality, assessed against WHO standards, fails to meet all the specified criteria, confirming
evidence of extremely high pollutant loads.
Approximately 35 percent of population has access to adequate sanitation facilities.
Air pollution is on the rise, especially in urban areas. Recent surveys conducted by Pakistan
Environmental Protection Agency revealed presence of very high levels of suspended particulate
matter (about 6 times higher than the World Health Organization's guidelines). 'Smog' also
seriously affects almost entire Punjab during December and January every year.
Noise pollution has become a serious issue in major urban centers.
Of about 54,850 tons of solid waste generated daily in urban areas, less than 60 per cent is
collected. No city in Pakistan has proper waste collection and disposal system for municipal,
hazardous or healthcare wastes.
The deforestation rate has been estimated at 0.2-0.5 percent per annum. Forest cover, which was
4.8 percent of total land area in 1992, could hardly be increased substantially despite all efforts.
Degradation and encroachment of natural forests, rangelands and freshwater and marine
ecosystems are resulting in loss of biodiversity. At least four mammal species, including tiger,
swamp deer, lion and Indian one-horned rhinoceros, are known to have become extinct from
Pakistan while at least 10 ecosystems of particular value for the species richness and uniqueness
of their floral and faunal communities are considered to be critically threatened.
Desertification affects over 43 million hectares of land annually.
Pakistan is a highly energy in-efficient country. It uses approximately same amount of energy to
generate 1 dollar of GNP as the USA.
The situation just mentioned is the result of a number of constraining factors including high
population growth rate, prevailing poverty, unplanned urban and industrial expansion, insufficient
emphasis on environmental protection in the government policies, lack of public awareness and
education and above all the ailing economy which has caused deficiencies in institutional capacity
and resources for effective environmental management.
The mid-term review of the NCS led the Government of Pakistan (GOP) and United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) to jointly initiate an umbrella support program called the National
Environmental Action Plan-Support Program (NEAP-SP) that was signed in October 2001 and
implemented in 2002. The development objective supported by NEAP-SP is environmental
sustainability and poverty reduction in the context of economic growth. The primary objective of
NEAP is to initiate actions and programs for achieving a state of environment that safeguards public
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health, promotes sustainable livelihood, and enhances the quality of life of the people in Pakistan. The
NEAP identifies four primary areas, (1) Clean air (2) Clean water (3) Management of solid waste (4)
Ecosystem management. The plan also presents five additional areas of concern (i) Management of
fresh water resources (ii) Marine pollution (iii) Toxic and hazardous substances handling and disposal
(iv) Energy conservation and management (v) Compliance with international treaties and protocol.
Studies conducted by GOP and Donor Agencies in Pakistan have identified a number of
environmental concerns with regard to energy, water and air pollution, waste management, irrigated
agriculture, and biodiversity. These studies suggest an overall degradation in the quality and
impoverishment of renewable natural resources such as water, forests, hydrocarbon and other flora as
well as key biological habitats. The GOP, private sector and civil society have, with few exceptions, not
responded positively to meet the challenges from these concerns.
The Mid-Term Development Framework: 2005-2010 (MTDF 2005-10) of the Planning Commission
has been developed in line with the National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) objectives, and focuses
on four core areas i.e., clean air, clean water; solid waste management, and Ecosystem management.
The Plan has been prepared keeping in mind Pakistan’s experience with such initiatives in the last
decade; the current capacity to undertake planning, implementation and oversight and the identified
needs for improvement in such capacity. The MTDF clearly specifies issues in environment which
need to be addressed.
2 .2 S ta tu tor y Frame w o r k
The constitution of Pakistan contains provision for environmental protection and resource
conservation. The constitution mentions environmental pollution and the ecology as a subject in the
concurrent legislative list, meaning that both the provincial and federal government may initiate and
make legislation for the purpose. Article 9 of the Constitution defines the right to life as a
“fundamental right” in these words “No person shall be deprived of life or liberty save in accordance
with law”. The Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgment in the case Shehla Zia and others vs WAPDA
(1994) declared that the right to a clean environment is part of the fundamental constitutional right to
life.
Several laws exist for the protection of the environment. Some of these laws are Federal and the rest
Provincial in character. The promulgation of the Environmental Protection Ordinance 1983 was the
first codifying legislation on the issue of environmental protection. This was indeed a consolidated
enactment to plug the gaps and remove defects/deficiencies in the legislation. The promulgation of
this ordinance was followed, in 1984, by the establishment of the Pakistan Environmental Protection
Agency, the primary government institution dealing with environmental issues. Significant work on
developing environmental policy was carried out in the late 1980s, which culminated in the drafting
of the Pakistan National Conservation Strategy. Provincial environmental protection agencies were
also established at about the same time. The National Environmental Quality Standards were
established in 1993.
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Prior to the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan in 2010, the legislative powers were
distributed between the federal and provincial governments through two ‘lists’ attached to the
Constitution as Schedules. The Federal list covered the subjects over which the federal government
had exclusive legislative power, while the ‘Concurrent List’ contained subjects regarding which both
the federal and provincial governments could enact laws. The subject of ‘environmental pollution and
ecology’ was included in the Concurrent List and hence allowed both the national and provincial
governments to enact laws on the subject.
However, as a result of the 18th Amendment this subject is now in the exclusive domain of the
provincial government. The main consequences of this change are as follows: i) The Ministry of
Environment at the federal level has been abolished. Its functions related to the national
environmental management haves been transferred to the provinces. The international obligations in
the context of environment will be managed by various ministries and departments of the federal
government, ii) The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 (PEPA 1997) is technically no longer
applicable to the provinces. The provinces are required to enact their own legislation for
environmental protection.
2 .3 S i n d h En v iron me n ta l Pro te c t i o n A c t , 201 4
Legislative assembly of Sindh province of Pakistan passed the bill on 24th February 2014 to enact
Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014. The Act envisages protection, improvement, conservation
and rehabilitation of environment of Sindh with the help of legal action against polluters and green
awakening of communities.
It equally lays emphasis for the preservation of the natural resources of Sindh and to adopt ways and
means for restoring the balance in its eco-system by avoiding all types of environmental hazards.
E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n C o u n c i l ( E P C ) : It has been formed consisting of
Chief Minister as Chairman with Minister in charge of Environment Protection Department, Addl.
Chief Secretary, Planning & Development Department, Government of Sindh and Secretaries of
Environment, Finance, Public Health Engineering, Irrigation, Health, Agriculture, Local Government,
Industries, Livestock & Fisheries Forest & Wildlife, Energy, Education Departments Government of
Sindh and Divisional Commissioners of Sindh. Non-official members are also included (i.e.
representatives of Chamber of Commerce & Industry and from medical or legal professions etc.)
along with DG, EPA & two Members of Provincial Assembly also form part of EPC.
The functions and powers of EPC include coordination & supervision of provisions of Act, approving
provincial environmental & sustainable development policies & SEQS, provide guidance for
protection & conservation, consider annual Sindh Environmental Report, deal with interprovincial and
federal provincial issues, provide guidance for bio safety and assist Federal Government in
implementation of various provisions of UN Convention on laws on Seas (UNCLOS).
S i n d h E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n A g e n c y ( S E PA ) : SEPA would be headed by
Director General (DG) with the aim to exercise the powers and perform the functions assigned to it
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under the provisions of this Act and the rules and regulations made there under. The Agency shall
have technical and legal staff and may form advisory committees.
The Agency shall administer and implement the provisions of this Act and rules and regulations. It
shall also prepare environmental policies, take measures for implementation of environmental
policies, prepare Sindh Environment Report and prepare or revise Sindh Environmental Quality
Standards. SEPA shall also establish systems and procedures for surveys, surveillance, monitoring,
measurement, examination, investigation research, inspection and audit to prevent and control
pollution and to estimate the costs of cleaning up pollution and rehabilitating the environment and
sustainable development. SEPA would also take measures for protection of environment such as to
promote research; issues licenses for dealing with hazardous substances, certify laboratories, identify
need for or initiate legislation, specify safeguards etc. SEPA would also encourage public awareness
and education regarding environmental issues.
SEPA would have powers to enter or inspect under a search warrant issued by Environmental
Protection Tribunal or a Court search at any time, any land or building etc. where there are reasonable
grounds to believe that an offence under this Act has been or is being or likely to be committed.
SEPA may also take samples, arrange for testing or confiscate any article in discharge of their duties.
This act has also provided for Sindh Sustainable Fund derived from various sources such as voluntary
contributions or fees generated etc. This fund is utilized for protection, conservation or improvement
of environment. It is appendices in this EIA report.
S a l i e n t F e a t u r e s
S e c t i o n - 11 : No person shall discharge or emit or allow the discharge or emission of any effluent
waste, pollutant, noise or adverse environmental effects in an amount, concentration or level which is
in excess to that specified in Sindh Environmental Quality Standards.
S e c t i o n - 1 2 & 1 3 : No person shall import hazardous waste into Sindh province and handle
hazardous substances except under licenses etc.
S e c t i o n 1 4 : No person shall undertake any action which adversely affects environment or which
lead to pollute or impairment of or damage to biodiversity, ecosystem, aesthetics or any damage to
environment etc.
S e c t i o n 1 5 : This section deals with regulation of motor vehicles banning emission of air or noise
pollutants being emitted from them in excess of allowable standards.
S e c t i o n 1 7 : This section states that no proponent of a project shall commence construction or
operation unless he has filed with the Agency an initial environmental examination or environmental
impact assessment and has obtained from Agency approval in respect thereof. SEPA shall review the
IEE & EIA and accord approval subject to such terms and conditions as it may prescribe or require.
The agency shall communicate within four (04) months its approval or otherwise from the date EIA is
filed failing which the EIA shall deemed to have been approved.
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S e c t i o n 2 1 : Where agency is satisfied that the discharge or emission has occurred in violation of
any provision of this act or rules etc. then it may, after giving an opportunity to person responsible, by
order direct such person to take such measures within specified period. The agency under this
section has been empowered to immediately stop, prevent or minimize emission, disposal etc. for
remedying adverse environmental effects.
S e c t i o n 2 2 : The person who fails to comply with section 11, 17, 18 and 21 shall be punishable
with a fine which may extend to five million rupees, to the damage caused to environment and in the
case of a continuing contravention or failure, with an additional fine which may extend to one
hundred thousand rupees for every day during which such contravention or failure continues. And,
where a person convicted under sub-sections 1 & 2 had been previously convicted for any
contravention of this Act, the Environmental Protection Tribunal (EPT) may, in addition to punishment,
award imprisonment for a term that may extend up to three years, or order confiscation or closure of
facility etc.
S e c t i o n 2 3 : Where any violation of this Act has been committed by any of employee of any
corporate body, then, that employee shall be considered to be guilty of environmental pollution.
S e c t i o n 2 5 : This section allows for establishment of Environmental Protection Tribunals.
2 . 4 E nv i ro n me n t & A l t e rn ate E n e rg y D ep a r tme n t
Environment and Alternate Energy Department is functioning as a department of the Government of
Sindh since 2002. Sindh EPA operates under this department. It is a monitoring and regulating agency
with the following main functions:
Enforcement of PEPA 1997
Enforcement of NEQS
Implementation of Self-Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART)
Review of EIAs and IEEs
Providing advice to the government on issues related to environment
Coordination of pollution prevention and abatement measures between government and non-
governmental organizations
Assistance to provincial and local governments in implementation of schemes for proper disposal
of wastes to ensure compliance with NEQS
Undertake measures to enhance awareness on environment among general public
Conduct research and studies on different environmental issues
Attend to public complaints on environmental issues.
Carry out any other task related to environment assigned by the government.
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Sindh EPA will be responsible for the review and approval of the EIA of Traffic Improvement Plan.
The IEE of the Traffic Improvement Plan has already been approved by Sindh EPA.
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2 . 5 Na t io na l E n v i ro n me n ta l Qu a l i ty S tan d a r ds
One of the functions of the Pak EPA under the provision of PEPO of 1983 was to issue NEQS for
municipal and liquid industrial effluent, industrial gaseous emissions and motor vehicle exhaust and
noise. The Pak EPA issued a statutory regulatory order (S.R.O) in 1994. It required all units coming into
production after 1st July 1994 to comply immediately with the new standards. Those already in
production at the time of S.R.O were required to comply starting 1st July 1996. The Pak EPA was not
able to implement the NEQS effectively for many reasons, including lack of implementation capacity
and resistance from industry.
With the PEPA, 1997 the Pak EPA revised the NEQS with full consultation of the private sector,
industrialist, trade and business associations and NGOs. The municipal and liquid industrial effluent
standards cover 32 parameters. The standards for industrial gaseous emissions specify limits for 16
parameters, and the standards for motor vehicles prescribe maximum permissible limits for smoke,
carbon monoxide and noise. Revised standards cover discharges limits of effluents into inland water,
sewage treatment plant and the sea. The NEQS are primarily concentration based. Unfortunately, the
limits on industrial effluents are neither industry specific nor do they have any relationship with the
quantum of production. The NEQS prohibit dilution, but this can be easily circumvented.
KMC is committed to comply with the applicable NEQS in letter and spirit.
The chronological list of NEQS is shown in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1: National Environmental Quality Standards
Date Number Scope
1993 742(I)/1993 Liquid Industrial Effluent
Industrial Gaseous Emission
Vehicle Exhaust and Noise
1995 1023(I)/1995 Industrial Gaseous Emission from Power Plants operating on coal and
oil (added)
2000 549(I)/2000 Liquid Industrial Effluent (amended)
Industrial Gaseous Emission (amended)
2010 1062(I)/2010 Ambient Air
2010 1063(I)/2010 Drinking Water Quality
2010 1062(I)/2010 Noise
Table 2.2 shows national environmental quality standard for ambient air.
Table 2.2: National Environmental Quality Standard for Ambient Air
Pollutant Time-
weighted
average
Concentration in Ambient Air Method of measurement
Effective from
1st Jan 2009
Effective from
1st Jan 2012
Sulfur Dioxide
(SO2)
Annual
Average*
80μg/m3 80μgm3 Ultraviolet Fluorescence Method
24 hours** 120μg/m3 120μgm3
Oxides of Nitrogen
as (NO)
Annual
Average*
40μg/m3 40μgm3 Gas Phase Chemiluminescence
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Table 2.2: National Environmental Quality Standard for Ambient Air
24 hours** 40μgm3 40μgm3
Oxides of Nitrogen
as (NO2)
Annual
Average*
40μgm3 40μgm3 Gas Phase Chemiluminescence
24 hours** 80μgm3 80μgm3
O3 1 hour 180μgm3 130μgm3 Non dispersive UV absorption
method
Suspended
Particulate Matter
(SPM)
Annual
Average*
400μgm3 360μgm3 High volume Sampling, (Average flow
rate not less than 1.1m3/minute)
24 hours** 550μgm3 500μgm3
Respirable
Particulate Matter
(PM10)
Annual
Average*
200μgm3 120μgm3 Β Ray absorption method
24 hours** 250μgm3 150μgm3
Respirable
Particulate Matter
(PM2.5)
Annual
Average*
25μgm3 15μgm3 Β Ray absorption method
24 hours** 40μgm3 35μgm3
1 hour 25μgm3 15μgm3
Lead (Pb) Annual
Average*
1.5μgm3 1μgm3 ASS Method after sampling using
EPM 2000 or equivalent Filter paper
24 hours** 2μgm3 1.5μgm3
Carbon Monoxide
(CO)
8hours** 5mg/m3 5mg/m3 Non Dispersive Infra Red (NDIR)
method 1hours 10mg/m3 10mg/m3
*Annual arithmetic mean of minimum 104 measurements in a year taken twice a week 24 hourly at uniform
interval.
**24 hourly / 8 hourly values should be met 98% of the in a year. 2% of the time, it may exceed but not on two
consecutive days.
Table 2.3 shows the standards for motor vehicle noise.
Table 2.3: The Motor Vehicle Ordinance (1965) and Roles (1969)
Parameter Standards (maximum permissible limit) Measuring method
Noise 85dB(A) Sound-meter at 7.5meter from the source
Table 2.4 shows the proposed national environmental quality standard for noise.
Table 2.4: Proposed National Environmental Quality Standard for Noise
S. No. Category of Area / Zone Effective from 1st January, 2009 Effective from 1st January, 2010
Limit it in dB(A) Leq*
Day Time Night Time Day Time Night Time
1 Residential area (A) 65 50 55 45
2 Commercial area (B) 70 60 65 55
3 Industrial area (C) 80 75 75 65
4 Silence Zone (D) 55 45 50 45
Note: 1 Day time hours: 6.00 a. m to 10.00 p. m
2 Night time hours: 10.00 p. m to 6.00p. m
3 Silence zone; Zone which are declared as such by competent authority. An area comprising not less
than 100 meters around hospitals, educational institutions and courts.
4 Mixed categories of areas may be declared as one of the four above-mentioned categories by the
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Table 2.4: Proposed National Environmental Quality Standard for Noise
competent authority.
*dB(A)Leq Time weighted average of the level of sound in decibels on scale A which is relatable to human
hearing.
The NEQS for effluents are shown in Table 2.5.
Table 2.5: National Environmental Quality Standard for Municipal & Liquid Industrial Effluents
S. # Parameter Into Inland
Waters
Into Sewage Treatment Into Sea unit
1 Temperature or Temp. increase <3 <3 <3 oC
2 pH value (H+) 6-9 6-9 6-9
3 Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)5 at 20oC 80 250 80 mg/l
4 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) 150 400 400 mg/l
5 Total Suspended Solids (TSS) 200 400 200 mg/l
6 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 3500 3500 3500 mg/l
7 Oil and Grease 10 10 10 mg/l
8 Phenolic Compounds (as Phenol) 0.1 0.3 0.3 mg/l
9 Chloride (as Cl-) 1000 1000 SC mg/l
10 Fluoride (as F-) 10 10 10 mg/l
11 Cyanide (as CN-)total 1.0 1.0 1.0 mg/l
12 An-ionic detergents (as MBAS) 20 20 20 mg/l
13 Sulphate(SO42-) 600 1000 SC mg/l
14 Sulphide (S2-) 1.0 1.0 1.0 mg/l
15 Ammonia (NH3) 40 40 40 mg/l
16 Pesticides 0.15 0.15 0.15 mg/l
17 Cadmium 0.1 0.1 0.1 mg/l
18 Chromium (trivalent and hexavalent) 1.0 1.0 1.0 mg/l
19 Copper 1.0 1.0 1.0 mg/l
20 Lead 0.5 0.5 0.5 mg/l
21 Mercury 0.01 0.01 0.01 mg/l
22 Selenium 0.5 0.5 0.5 mg/l
23 Nickel 1.0 1.0 1.0 mg/l
24 Silver 1.0 1.0 1.0 mg/l
25 Total toxic metals 2.0 2.0 2.0 mg/l
26 Zinc 5.0 5.0 5.0 mg/l
27 Arsenic 1.0 1.0 1.0 mg/l
28 Barium 1.5 1.5 1.5 mg/l
29 Iron 8.0 8.0 8.0 mg/l
30 Manganese 1.5 1.5 1.5 mg/l
31 Boron 6.0 6.0 6.0 mg/l
32 Chlorine 1.0 1.0 1.0 mg/l
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2 .6 Pa k- E PA R e v i ew o f IEE a n d E IA R eg u la t io n s
2 000
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Review of Initial Environmental Examination and
Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2000 (IEE-EIA Regulations, 2000) provide the
necessary details on the preparation, submission, and review of the IEE and the EIA. The regulation
categorizes projects on the basis of anticipated degree of environmental impact.
The Regulations define Schedules (I & II) of projects falling under the requirement of EIA or IEE. This
IEE Study has, for environmental classification of the Project into Category A or B, taken account of
the requirements of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Review of EIA/IEE) Regulations
2000 which define Schedules (I & II) as follows:
Category A: Projects are categorized A if they generate significant adverse environmental impacts
that require a comprehensive management plan, or if the project is located within or passes through:
a) Areas declared by the Government of Pakistan as environmentally sensitive (National
Parks/Sanctuaries/Game Reserve), b) Areas of international significance (e.g. protected wetland as
designated by the RAMSAR Convention), or c) Areas designated by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as cultural heritage sites.
Category B: A project falls in category ‘B’ if it is likely to have adverse environmental impacts, but of
lesser degree or significance than those for category ‘A’ and all the mitigation measures to handle the
impact is manageable. Such types of projects need IEE report including EMP.
As per Schedule I (List of projects requiring an IEE), Category I (3) Urban Development Projects, the
subject Project: “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T.
Naqvi Roundabout”, falls in the category of projects that requires Initial Environmental Examination
(IEE). An IEE was duly submitted in fulfilment of the requirement of the above regulation and it was
also approved by the competent authority (Sindh EPA). Work was started after obtaining the approval
and had to be restrained when a petition was filed against the categorization of project. The petition
had taken the plea that this Project came within paragraph D:2 of Schedule II and hence an EIA was
necessary. This reads as follows: “Federal or Provincial highways or major roads (except maintenance,
rebuilding or reconstruction of existing roads) with total cost of Rs. 50 million and above.”
Accordingly the Honorable High Court considered it necessary to reexamine the status of
categorization by conducting an EIA. This report has therefore reconsidered the status of the project
and its severity in terms of negative and positive impact. Mitigation measures will have to be
provided to contain the emissions and other negative impacts that may arise during the course of
construction and subsequent operation.
It may be reiterated that the environmental assessment is concerned with the management/
implementation of the Traffic Improvement Plan. The exceedence of cost over Rs. 50 million will be
the cost that the KMC will have to bear for improvement of quality of life. The main aim of the Traffic
Improvement Plan being facilitation of travel demand in the microenvironment of the recreation area
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at Clifton, the project remains in the category of “urban development projects”. Accordingly the
submission and approval of an IEE is justified. This EIA has reexamined the assessments made earlier,
has taken the stakeholders on board, addressed to their concerns and has found that sustainability of
the project lies in following the mitigation measures in letter and spirit.
2 . 7 Pa ki s tan E n v i ro n me n ta l A ss e s s me n t Pro c ed u res
The Federal EPA has prepared a set of guidelines for conducting environmental and social
assessments. The guidelines derive from much of the existing work done by international donor
agencies and NGOs. The package of regulations, of which the environmental and social guidelines
form a part, includes the PEPA 1997 and the NEQS. These guidelines are listed below followed by
comments on their relevance to proposed project:
Policy and Procedures for Filing, Review and Approval of Environmental Assessments, Pakistan
Environmental Protection Agency, September 1997: These guidelines define the policy context
and the administrative procedures that govern the environmental assessment process from the
project pre-feasibility stage to the approval of the environmental report. The section on
administrative procedures has been superseded by the IEE-EIA Regulations, 2000.
Guidelines for the Preparation and Review of Environmental Reports, Pakistan Environmental
Protection Agency, 1997: The guidelines on the preparation and review of environmental reports
target project proponents and specify:
o The nature of the information to be included in environmental reports
o The minimum qualifications of the EIA conductors appointed
o The need to incorporate suitable mitigation measures at every stage of project
implementation
o The need to specify monitoring procedures.
The terms of reference for the reports are to be prepared by the project proponents themselves.
The report must contain baseline data on the Study Area, detailed assessment thereof, and
mitigation measures.
Guidelines for Public Consultation, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, May, 1997: These
guidelines support the two guidelines mentioned above. They deal with possible approaches to
public consultation and techniques for designing an effective program of consultation that
reaches out to all major stakeholders and ensures the incorporation of their concerns in any
impact assessment study.
Sectoral Guidelines for Environmental Reports: Major Roads: This Sectoral Guideline is part of
package of regulations and Guidelines that also includes the National Environmental Quality
Standards. The Guidelines are concerned with construction of major roads and highways as well
as rehabilitation of major routes. Minor works such as maintenance, repair and improvement of
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existing roads and the construction of small lengths of new roads of limited capacity are not
included within the scope of this Guideline.
The EIA report submission and approval procedure is summarized below:
1. Ten hardcopies of the EIA and two soft copies will be submitted together with a review fee and
form included as Schedule IV of the IEE-EIA Regulations.
2. The EPA will conduct a preliminary scrutiny and reply within 10 days of the submittal of the report
a) confirming completeness, or b) asking for additional information, if needed, or c) returning the
report requiring additional studies, if necessary.
3. If accepted, the EPA will set a date for public hearing and publish a notice in the print media.
According the law, a minimum of 30 day notice is required for the public hearing.
4. The EPA will review the EIA taking into account the any public comments received during the
hearing or otherwise.
5. The EPA is required to make every effort to complete the EIA review process within 90 days of the
issue of confirmation of completeness.
6. The approval granted at the end of the review process, is valid for three years to start
construction.
7. Once the project construction is complete, the proponent is required to submit a request to EPA
for confirmation of compliance. An environmental management plan for the operation phase is
to accompany the request.
8. The EPA is required to communicate its decision within 15 days of receipt of the request. The
project can commence operation only after it has received approval from the EPA.
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2 .8 Cu t t i n g o f Tree s Ac t , 199 2
The Cutting of Trees Act mandates that no person shall, without prior written approval from
authorized officer shall cut, fell or damage trees growing in:
First Zone (Area adjacent to and beyond the external frontier of Pakistan to a line at four
kilometers measured from the external frontiers of Pakistan) if the number of remaining trees in
any field falls short of the number to be calculated at the rate of fifteen trees per acre
Second Zone (Area adjacent to and beyond the first zone extending towards Pakistan to a line of
four kilometers measured from the first zone) if the number of remaining trees in any field falls
short of the number to be calculated at the rate off ten trees per acre.
2 .9 B u i ld i ng C o n tro l a n d Tow n P la n n i ng R e g u l a t io n s
These regulations are framed under Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979. General provisions of
these regulations contain the procedure for land development by individuals and corporate bodies,
schedule of areas where such development is possible and procedure for public notices in case of
change of land-use. The regulations lay down the framework for managing the built environment in
designated locations/areas in Karachi. Licensing of professionals, procedure for public sale projects/
real estate development, addressing issues of violation of land development, identification of
dangerous buildings, management of construction sites, space requirements in and around buildings,
safety provisions, heritage conservation, widening of existing roads, standards for land development,
procedures for land subdivision, amalgamation and change of land use, classification of urban land
use, parking and right of way requirements are some of the key contents of these regulations.
In many cases, the actual implementation and enforcement of these regulations are cumbersome,
especially for low income communities. The procedures require facilitation through consultants and
their agents which require substantial management costs including fees and levies. Often the
provisions are altered on ad-hoc basis under political influence or commercial pressures.
Building control and town planning regulations become applicable on informal low income
settlements after they are regularized. However, this provision is seldom enforced. The densification
of informal settlements continue without any recourse to formal approvals from the KBCA (now
SBCA). Only in rare cases where any formal transaction is in question such as an HBFC loan, the
approval or endorsement is desired from the concerned authority. The absence of regularization and
amelioration plans and corresponding enforcement in majority of settlements is also a barrier for
appropriate management of such locations. These locations have become stagnant and incapable to
attract investments for formal real estate business. As mentioned earlier, as a result, influence of
political groups continue to expand.
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2 .10 S in d h Hig h D e ns i ty D ev e lo p me n t A c t 2 010
The Sindh Assembly passed a legislation titled ‘Sindh High Density Development Board Act 2010’ to
ensure coordinated and integrated development of high density zones in the urban centres of the
province including Karachi. The Law empowered the board to identify and mark high density zones
keeping in view the general principles of the KSDP 2020.
Poor regulatory framework for development, fragmentation in land management control amongst
various agencies and adverse impacts on city infrastructure were outlined as the main reasons.
2 .11 A rch a eo lo g i c a l R e l i c s
The Antiquities Act, 1975 ensures the protection of Pakistan’s cultural resources. The Act defines
“antiquities” as ancient products of human activity, historical sites or sites of anthropological or
cultural interest, national monuments, etc. The Act is designed to protect these antiquities from
destruction, theft, negligence, unlawful excavation, trade, and export. The law prohibits new
construction in the proximity of a protected antiquity and empowers the GoP to prohibit excavation
in any area that may contain articles of archaeological significance. Under the Act, the Project
proponents are obligated to ensure that no activity is undertaken within 61 m (200 ft) of a protected
antiquity, and to report to the GoP’s Department of Archaeology any archaeological discovery made
during the course of the project.
The federal Department of Archaeology maintains a master register containing basic and vital
information on the protected monuments and sites including full measurements of the protected
area, description, location and Government Notification number with date of protection. The central
directorate general of Archaeology has a separate list which is continuously updated as and when
new sites are declared as protected.
In Pakistan at present there are 387 notified sites which are covered by Federal Antiquities Act.
Karachi alone has over 200 buildings declared as “Protected Heritage” by the Government of Sindh.
Up to date copies of this protected area list will be sought by the proponent to avoid confusion at
any later stage in development; as it is an on-going process to bring new sites within official
notification. For this reason contact with the relevant Provincial or Federal Department of
Archaeology should be sought by the proponent early during the feasibility/conceptual stage of
project development.
The Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994 is the provincial law for the protection of cultural
assets. Its objectives are similar to those of the Antiquity Act.
Heritage Foundation has catalogued 600 historic buildings declared heritage sites under the Sindh
Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994. The Sindh government had restored the site in 2007 with
balustrades, gardens and a park named after Mohammad Bin Qasim. Accordingly even if the
structures of heritage site are not destroyed, measures should be taken to strengthen them with
barricades and demolished structures should be restored and their preservation ensured.
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Sect ion 03: Descript ion of the Project
3 .1 Pro je c t B a c kgro un d
The project has responded to the need emerging from creation of High Density Zone and the
consequent necessity to improve the Traffic management in the different zones vide “The Sindh High
Density Development Board Act, 2010”. The High Density Development Board was created under
Section 3 of the Act, while Section 4 of the Act empowered the Board to identify and earmark the
high-density zones in the urban centres of the cities of the Province as per the defined procedure. It is
pertinent to mention here that high density zones were created to respond to the centripetal forces
that had developed during the process of rapid urbanization.
A Traffic Impact Assessment study was initiated as per the recommendations of the Sindh High
Density Development Board that was held on December 22, 2011 under the chairmanship of
Honorable Governer Sindh. The recommendations mandated the proponents of high risers to
develop a traffic management plan taking all the stakeholders on board. The Traffic Impact
Assessment (TIA) study was completed in July 2012; it focussed on mitigation and transport
improvement of the areas adjacent to the main high risers including Bahria Icon. The report primarily
focused on addressing the prevailing traffic & transport situation in the microenvironment and
suggested mitigation measures to address the situation so created.
The Study had following objectives:
Identification of potential traffic problem areas/corridors in Clifton Area.
Study of various options to alleviate traffic congestion.
Recommendation of measures to improve overall traffic operation in the Clifton Area.
Necessary surveys were carried out by M/s Exponent Engineers Ltd to develop a travel demand
model of the area. Various improvement strategies were analyzed and those which rendered the
best possible traffic load alleviation & network operating efficiency were recommended as preferred
alternatives.
The Consultant identified the potential transport network deficiencies in Clifton Area and proposed
mitigation measures to reduce the traffic congestion. The report also provided a system vide analysis
of the traffic improvement alternatives for the Clifton and Defence Housing Authority areas which are
located in the South of Karachi City.
Key performance characteristics of 17 major roads approaching the Clifton area were considered and
existing performance indicators such as “Volume/Capacity Ratio” and “Average Operating Speed”
were estimated as base case. Thereafter, travel demand modeling was carried out considering various
traffic analysis zones depicting the travel characteristic and network attributes for “do nothing”
scenario. The outcome was a calibrated demand model which was used subsequently for screening
of alternatives.
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In order to minimize the traffic congestion problems and to provide smooth traffic flow within the
study area, the report considered 07 test alternatives. The preferred alternative arrived at by the policy
tests indicated that the traffic problems in Clifton area should be dealt with at two levels: i) dealing
with the traffic calming & managements strategy for traffic entering Clifton area, and ii) policy for
dealing with traffic issues for traffic circulation within Clifton area.
The report concluded that the change in traffic movement pattern (e.g one way regime) will not be an
efficient solution, on the other hand the road network capacity enhancement, if accepted, would
require provision of grade-separated facilities (flyovers and underpasses) along with ensuring uniform
right of way of major road corridors.
The report recommended following road network improvements/grade-separated facilities and other
management measures as detailed below:
Submarine Chowk (Khayaban-e-Jami/Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road/Gizri Road)
Punjab Chowrangi (Sunset Boulevard/Gizri Boulevard)
Defence Mour (Korangi Road/Sunset Boulevard)
Akhter Colony (Korangi Road/Khayaban-e-Ittehad)
Park Tower Intersection (Sharah-e-Iran/Khayaban-e-Firdousi)
PIDC Intersection (M.T. Khan Road/Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road/Club Road)
Hotel Mehran Intersection (Shara-e-Faisal/Dr. Dawood Pota Road)
Split Level Facility between A.T. Naqvi Roundabout and Bilawal Chowrangi on Sharah-e-Firdousi
as one-way exclusive movement.
Bridge connecting Old Clifton Road with Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Widening of M.T. Khan Road from Mai Kolachi Road to PIDC House.
Widening of Love Lane Bridge near PIDC House
Prohibition of heavy vehicular movement from 6:00 am to Mid Night
It was recommended that since Bahria Town Icon Tower is one of the main beneficiaries of the
proposed development initiatives in the area and is also ready to finance the grade separated
scheme, its interest should be safeguarded by providing access to its venture. The idea was upheld
since it was thought necessary to develop the concept for proportionate project component based
sharing under Public-Private-Partnership Model.
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3 . 2 T h e Pro je c t
Karachi Metropolitan Corporationis has followed the recommendations of the Sindh High
Development Development Board and has initiated the implementation of Grade Separated Traffic
Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi roundabout with the following
objectives:
Provision for uninterrupted traffic movements in the Project area;
Reduction of traffic congestion and delays;
Decreasing the travel time for each trip through the intersections;
Provision for safer and better travel conditions for vehicular and pedestrian traffic;
Reduction of pollution due to idling of vehicles at the signalized intersections; and
Minimization of the economic losses due to traffic congestion and delays along the corridor.
The Project has been designed in accordance with findings of the review of traffic profile of Clifton
area and solutions proposed therein. The main solution proposed was to adopt grade-separated
structures. Accordingly the following are the main features of the Project:
Flyover along 26thStreet/Shahrah-e-Firdausi providing for uninterrupted traffic movements along
Shahrah-e-Firdausi from DHA/Khayaban-e-Ittehad side towards A.T.Naqvi Chowk (Intersecton)
and onwards to Bin Qasim Park along with a direct access to the Bahria Town Icon Tower by
means of an exclusive down ramp.
Underpasses for entry/exit movements to/from Bahria Town Icon Tower and Clifton Funland
without any interruption to the through movements on main Shahrah-e-Firdausi.
Interchange for uninterrupted traffic movements between Shahrah-e-Iran and Shahrah-e-Firdausi
near Park Towers Intersection leading to 2-Talwar Intersection.
Improved traffic management at A.T. Naqvi Chowk under the above Flyover.
Other at-grade improvements for better traffic management in the entire area.
Provision of a number of grade-separated pedestrian crossings at important locations.
All traffic movements at the intersections at A.T. Naqvi Chowk and the Park Towers along Shahrah-e-
Firdausi would be effectively managed by the above interventions, which would additionally provide
conflict free entry/exit to/from the proposed Bahria Town Icon Tower Project.
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Table 3.1: Salient Features
Location Struture Bridge/Barrel
Length Ramps Length
Carriageway
width
No. of
lanes
Flyover at A.T Naqvi
Chowk
Bridge-01 200m 92m+55m 7.20m 2
Bridge-02 120m 50m 3.90m 1
Underpasses for
entry/exit movements
to/from Bahria
Underpass
-01 97m 81m 6.40m 2
Underpass
-02 160m 40m 6.40m 2
Underpass at Park Tower
Inetrsection Underpass 62m 83m+192m+223m 7.20m 2
3 . 3 C u r re n t S i tu a t i o n
The current situation is that the excavation work for laying the foundation of the underpass and
flyover has been halfway through. The construction work was underway when there was intervention
from some of the stakeholders. The construction work had to be stopped as per High Court Orders
leaving the site for underpasses and flyover in unaesthetic condition. The stoppage of work has had
serious impact on the business and commercial activities in the surrounding and also on the project
financers. The stakeholders in the surrounding particularly the management of the Ratneshwar
Mahadev Mandir and Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine have demanded immediate resumption of the
construction activity and its completion before the onset of the monsoons.
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Figure 3.1: Layout Plan
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Figure 3.2: Layout of Flyovers
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Figure 3.3: Layout of Underpasses
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Figure 3.4: Cross Section – 01
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Figure 3.5: Cross Section – 02
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Figure 3.6: Cross Section – 03
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Figure 3.7: Cross Section – 04
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3 . 4 Te c h ni c a l D e ta i l s o f Pro jec t 3 . 4 . 1 G e o m e t r i c D e s i g n
The following are the principal factors on which the geometric design are based:
(a) horizontal & vertical curvature,
(b) roadway cross-section elements,
(c) road gradients and
(d) layout of structures with respect to the alignment.
The design exercise was undertaken after survey and on obtaining basic geometric information,. A
complete and comprehensive design was evolved on the basis of pre-decided standards as well as
those developed during the detailed design process. The project geometry has been designed in
such manner as to provide optimum efficiency in traffic operations with maximum safety at a
reasonable cost.
3 . 4 . 2 D e s i g n S t a n d a r d s
One of the most critical parameters to be considered in road geometry is the design speed of the
roads at ramps and bridge. The structure will have a u-beam girder arrangement on piers while the
foundation shall consist of RCC piers.The Consultants have adopted the principal geometric
standards for the detailed design based on the AASHTO publication titled "A Policy on Geometric
Design of Highways (2001)". A property selected value of these factors eventually results in better
geometry of the road.
3 . 4 . 3 Ve r t i c a l A l i g n m e n t
Vertical Alignment is the elevation or profile of the centerline of the road; it consists of gradients and
vertical curves, and influences the speed of vehicles, acceleration, deceleration, stopping sight
distance and comfort while driving. The vertical alignment of the project road has been designed by
giving due consideration to existing roads levels and vertical clearance for bridge.
3 . 4 . 4 C o m b i n a t i o n o f H o r i z o n t a l a n d Ve r t i c a l A l i g n m e n t
Combination of horizontal alignment and profile has been obtained by considering the following
general controls:
Sharp horizontal curvatures have been avoided at or near the top of a crest vertical curve.
Sharp horizontal curvatures have not been provided at or near the low point of sag vertical
curves.
Horizontal curvature and profile has been made as flat as feasible at intersections where sight
distance along both roads is important and vehicle may have to slow down or stop.
Vertical curves have been contained within horizontal curvature.
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3 . 4 . 5 B u s S t o p / B a y s
Keeping in view the public transport needs, bus bays have been proposed within the limits of the
project.
3 . 4 . 6 P e d e s t r i a n C ro s s i n g s
Pedestrian crossings have been provided whereever the need was identified in the plan.
3 . 4 . 7 D r a i n a g e
The project has been designed with proper longitudinal and cross slopes and drains linked with
existing drainage system for effective drainage of the storm water runoff.
3 . 4 . 8 A p p u r t e n a n c e s / F u r n i t u re
The following appurtenances/furniture has been provided along the Project road.
Traffic signs.
Pavement Marking and
Road Studs
Traffic signs and pavement marking are an essential provision, which act as means of communication
between the road and driver. Informatory, regularity and warning signs have been provided at
appropriate locations. The fixing and foundations details for signs have been provided in the
drawings. The pavement marking includes lane marking, and direction arrows. Details of their
dimensions and colors have been provided in the drawings. The schedules for the location of studs,
signs and marking are included in the drawings.
3 . 4 . 9 P a v e m e n t D e s i g n
Pavement construction being an expensive item in roadway construction, it is of prime concern for
KMC, the Proponent to have such design which offers excellent riding quality and lasting design life
of the pavement. The consultant has proposed the use of pavement structure based on AASHTO
standards as given in table 3.2:
Table 3.2: Pavement Design for Flyover
Item Description
Pavement Layer Thicknesses (cm)
Flyover At-Grade
(UT) Diversion
Service
Road Ramps
Asphalt wearing
Course 5 5 5 5 5
Asphalt Base
Course - 6 - - 6
Aggregate Base
Course - 20
20 or 20 recovered from
road excavation 20 20
Water Bound - - - - -
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Table 3.2: Pavement Design for Flyover
Item Description
Pavement Layer Thicknesses (cm)
Flyover At-Grade
(UT) Diversion
Service
Road Ramps
Macadam
Sub base - 15 - 15 15
Subgrade CBR
(Min.) - 15% - - 15%
3 . 4 . 1 0 Tr a f f i c C a p a c i t y o f R o a d i n t e r m s o f P a s s e n g e r C a r
U n i t p e r d a y
Detailed traffic studies have been conducted by Exponent Engineers Pvt. Ltd.
The main objectives of the traffic study are:
To study the present traffic conditions and estimate the traffic expected to use the proposed
interchange during the analysis period
To determine the number of lanes required to accommodate each movement through the
intersection
To examine the capacity aspects of project
The existing traffic at major intersection in the macroenvironment of the Project area shown in figure
3.8 – 3.12. The Traffic Study is attached as Annex-I.
3 . 4 . 11 D e s i g n P ro v i s i o n s
The Project has been designed in accordance with the Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges,
AASHTOO LRFD 1998 & the West Pakistan Code of Practice for Highway Bridges (1967).
3 . 4 . 1 2 D e s i g n L o a d i n g s
The structures have been designed for the following loadings as specified in West Pakistan Code of
Practice for Highway Bridges and AASHTOO LRFD 1998.
Dead load
Live loads of Class A and Class AA loading
Impact effect of live load
Wind loads
Longitudinal forces caused by the tractive effect of vehicles or by braking of vehicles
Earth pressure
Thermal forces
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Seismic force
The structural members have been designed to sustain any combination of the above forces that can
co-exist as indicated in the AASHTOO LRFD recommended load case combination. These loads and
forces are detailed below for the complete description of the design parameters. Stresses in concrete
& steel used for the design are specified.
D e a d L o a d s
The dead loads include the self-weight of Super and Sub-Structure members.
L i v e l o a d s
Live loads, transient in nature are caused by vehicular traffic. These loads as specified in West Pakistan
Highway Code of 1967 and AASHTOO 1996 have been considered in designing. These are briefly
described below:
M i l i t a r y L o a d i n g ( C l a s s A )
This class of loading comprised of a tracked vehicle weighing 70 tonnes. Minimum clear distance
between two successive Class-AA vehicles is limited to 91.5m
C l a s s - A L o a d i n g
This class of loading consists of a truck train composed of driving vehicles and trailers of specified
axle load and spacings. Total load of the truck train is 55.4 tones.
S h e a r L o a d i n g f o r D e c k S l a b
An axle load of 11.34 tonnes over a minimum contact area of 25x50cm has been considered to check
shear adequacy of deck slab
L i v e L o a d I m p a c t
In order to take into account the increase in stresses due to dynamic action of vehicular traffic, the
impact allowance as a fraction of the applied live loads have been considered.
W i n d L o a d s
The transverse and longitudinal forces transmitted by the super structure to the sub-structure for
various angles of wind direction are as set forth in AASHTOO LRFD 1998.
L o n g i t u d i n a l F o r c e s
Braking effect for a single lane or two lane
structure
30% of live load class ‘A’ applied on the bridge or
15 % of live load class ‘AA’.
E a r t h P r e s s u r e
Structures which retain fills have been proportioned to withstand pressure as given by Coulomb's
Theory recommended as per AASHTOO LRFD 1998.
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T h e r m a l F o r c e s
Provision has been made for stresses or movements resulting from variation in temperature as per
AASHTOO LRFD 1998.
S e i s m i c F o r c e s
Structures have been designed to resist earthquake motions by considering the relationship of the
site to active faults, the seismic response of the soils at the site, and the dynamic response
characteristics of the total structure.
3 . 4 . 1 3 P re - S t r e s s i n g f o r B r i d g e
As per requirement of the governing code, the initial stress in the H.T. steel for pre-stressing is limited
to 70% of the ultimate tensile strength.
3 . 4 . 1 4 C o n t ro l l i n g S t re s s Va l u e s
For the purpose of design, the following 28 days compressive strengths in concrete for various
descriptions have been considered.
Table 3.3: Controlling Stress Values (Concrete)
Description of Concrete 28 Days
Cylinder
Compressive
Strength
Pre-stressed Concrete and Top Slab 5000 psi 359 Kgf/sq.cm
Concrete for piers, pile caps, piles, approach slabs and Transom 3000 psi 210 Kgf/sq.cm
Concrete for culverts, foundations and wing walls 3000 psi 210 Kgf/sq.cm
Piles and Retaining Walls 4000 psi 280 Kgf/sq.cm
Table 3.4: Controlling Stress Values (Steel)
Description of Steel Strength
Mild Grade Plain Steel 36,000 psi 2,535 Kgf/sq.cm
High Yield Deformed Bars 60,000 psi 4,225 Kgf/sq.cm
High Tensile Strength Pre-stressing Steel (Grade 270 Stands) 270,000 psi 19,033 Kgf/sq.cm
3 . 4 . 1 5 R a m p C o n f i g u r a t i o n
The proposed bridge features closed reinforces concrete abutments. Approach Ramps consists of
RCC Retaining Walls in small lengths.
3 .5 M a n pow er req u i re me n t s
Table 3.5 gives the details on manpower requirements during the two phases of the project
Table 3.5: Manpower requirements by skills
Personnel For Execution (Man
Month)
For Maintenance
(No.)
Professional & Technical 15 X 6 = 90 -
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Administrative Executive and Managerial 04 X 6 = 24 -
Skilled 25 X 6 = 150 08
Unskilled 60 X 6 = 360 20
3 . 6 A mo u n t o f ma te r i a l re q u i red fo r co ns t r uc t i o n
Table 3.6 gives estimation of amounts of construction material.
Table 3.6: Estimation for amount of construction material
Item Unit Quantity
Cement Ton 7,017
Steel Ton 2,496
Bitumen Ton 576
Crushed Aggregate for Aggregate Base Course & Asphaltic Layers and
Concrete
Cu.m 22,515
3 .7 U t i l i t i e s
Electricity:
Electricity needs during would be fulfilled through diesel generator.
Water:
Water needs during construction would be fulfilled through bowzers.
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Figure 3.8: Traffic Volume along Korangi Road – Submarine Chowk – Schon Circle – Boat Basin – Mai Kolachi
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Figure 3.9: Traffic Volume along Do Talwar – Schon Circle
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Figure 3.10: Traffic Volume along Boat Basin – Bilawal House Chowrangi – Shirin Jinnah Colony
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Figure 3.11: Traffic Volume alongBilawal House Chowrangi – Park Tower – 26th Street
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Figure 3.12: Traffic Volume along Clifton Sea Shore Promenade
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Sect ion 04: Descr ipt ion of Environment
4 . 1 Ge n e r a l
This section describes the current environmental and socioeconomic conditions of the
microenvironment and macroenvironment of the Project area. The microenvironment is bounded by
the Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, the 26thStreet/Shahrah-e-Firdausi intersection, Ratneshwar
Mahadev Mandir, Jahangir Kothari Parade, Bin Qasim Park, Shahrah-e-Iran/Shahrah-e-Firdausi
intersection, Park Towers, 2-Talwar Intersection, Hatim Alvi Road and Mohatta Palace.
The macroenvironment of the Project area falls administratively in UC 10 Clifton in Saddar Town of
Karachi. UC 10 Clifton is bounded on the north by the built environment of Civil Lines, Clifton
Cantonment on the east, Boat Basin and the Manora Channel on the west and the Clifton beach to
the far south.
Figure 4.1: The Saddar Town
The major landmarks around the bounds of the microenvironment include the Shrine of Abdullah
Shah Ghazi and the adjacent Mosque; Bahria Icon Tower Project, Aquarium, Ratneshwar Mahadev
Temple, Jahangir Kothari Pavillion, Ibn-e-Qasim Park, Clifton Funland, the Park Tower, the National
Bank Sports ground, the A.T Naqvi chowk, the Mohatta Palace, and 2-Talwar.
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Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi
Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir
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Jahangir Kothari Pavilion
Jahangir Kothari Parade
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Mohatta Palace
Bin Qasim Park
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Park Towers
A.T. Naqvi Chowk
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Description of the environment of Project is in terms of baseline data that were generated for the
Project and also procured from secondary sources by consultation of literature or with stakeholders.
In general the description pertains to the following:
(i) Physical Environment
(ii) Biological Environment, and
(iii) Social, Cultural and Economic Environment
4 .2 Ph y s ic a l E nv iro n me n t
The physical environment of Project has been described here in terms of Climate, geology, soil
characteristics and seismicity; seismotectonic events, the airshed, watershed i.e. hydrology.
4 . 2 . 1 M e t e o ro l o g y a n d C l i m a t e
The climate of the macroenvironment can be characterized by dry, hot and humid conditions and in
general terms it is moderate, sunny and humid. There is a minor seasonal intervention of a mild
winter from mid-December to mid-February followed by a long hot and humid summer extending
from April to September, with monsoon rains from July to mid- September.
4 . 2 . 2 Te m p e r a t u re
Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from 13°C to 36°C and is rarely below 9°C
or above 39°C (Average Weather for Karachi.1
Figure 4.2: Daily High and Low Temperature
1 (https://weatherspark.com/averages/32864/Karachi-Sindh-Pakistan).
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The daily average low (blue) and high (red) temperature with percentile bands (inner band from 25th
to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile). The warm season lasts from March
25 to July 13 with an average daily high temperature above 34°C. The hottest day of the year is May
5, with an average high of 36°C and low of 26°C. The cold season lasts from December 18 to February
7 with an average daily high temperature below27°C. The coldest day of the year is January 10, with
an average low of 13°C and high of 25°C2.
The following Tables show that for the eleven years (2001-2011) the annual mean minimum
temperature ranged between 21.0 and 22.5oC and averaged at 21.8oC at Karachi Airport
Meteorological Station. The annual mean maximum on the other hand ranged between 32 and 33oC
and averaged at 32.6oC. During winter the range of variation of temperature is large with respect to
maximum and minimum temperatures. The mean monthly minimum temperatures recorded for
February has a range of 7oC while the range in the case of mean monthly maximum during the eleven
years (2001-2011) at Karachi Airport Meteorological Station is 5oC. The large range in each case is
more likely the result of lower relative heat capacity of the desiccated soil during winter and higher
relative heat capacity of soil having higher moisture content.
Table 4.1:Mean Monthly Maximum Temperature oC
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
2001 27.2 29.6 33.1 34.6 35.1 34.9 32.2 32.3 33.1 36.0 33.5 30.4 32.7
2002 27.0 28.2 33.3 35.4 35.6 35.1 32.2 31.6 31.4 36.5 32.7 28.1 32.3
2003 27.6 28.5 32.4 36.6 35.7 34.9 34.1 32.6 32.5 37.0 32.2 28.3 32.7
2004 26.6 29.9 36.2 35.4 36.8 35.6 33.8 32.7 32.8 33.7 33.1 29.4 33.0
2005 24.9 26.3 31.5 35.3 35.4 36.0 33.2 32.2 34.2 35.2 33.1 28.4 32.1
2006 26.0 31.3 31.8 34.0 34.6 35.3 33.8 31.0 34.2 35.0 33.4 26.3 32.2
2007 26.9 29.4 31.4 37.7 36.0 36.4 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 33.0
2008 24.4 26.9 34.3 34.4 33.9 35.1 33.5 31.9 34.7 35.5 32.5 27.2 32.0
2009 26.2 29.8 33.0 36.0 36.8 35.7 34.5 33.0 32.8 35.9 33.0 28.6 32.9
2010 27.5 29.2 34 35.7 36.5 34.7 34.6 33.2 34.5 35.9 32.7 28 33.0
2011 26.9 28.5 33.2 35.8 35.3 35.3 34.2 32.8 32.9 N/A N/A N/A N/A
2012 25.7 26.9 31.7 35.1 35.5 34.6 33.2 32.7 33.2 35.0 32.7 28.2 32.0
2013 26.7 28.0 33.3 34.0 35.1 36.5 33.8 32.1 33.0 35.7 32.3 28.3 32.4
Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department
Table 4.2:Mean Monthly Minimum Temperature oC
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
2001 11.5 14.9 19.6 23.8 28.1 29.0 27.1 26.5 25.9 24.4 18.6 15.8 22.1
2002 12.8 13.8 19.5 23.9 27.0 28.2 29.6 25.6 24.8 22.5 17.7 14.9 21.7
2 (Average Weather for Karachi (https://weatherspark.com/averages/32864/Karachi-Sindh-Pakistan).
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Table 4.2:Mean Monthly Minimum Temperature oC
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
2003 12.7 16.9 19.8 24.2 26.5 28.2 23.6 27.0 25.3 20.9 15.2 12.0 21.0
2004 12.9 14.5 19.1 24.8 27.3 28.8 27.5 26.3 25.3 22.4 18.0 15.4 21.9
2005 12.3 11.3 20.3 23.0 26.4 28.3 27.2 26.6 26.6 22.9 18.9 13.0 21.4
2006 11.7 18.1 19.6 24.5 27.5 28.5 28.3 26.3 26.8 25.7 19.4 14.0 22.5
2007 13.0 17.3 19.7 24.7 27.6 28.6 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 21.8
2008 10.1 11.1 19.6 24.0 27.3 29.1 27.9 26.8 26.6 23.8 17.6 14.9 21.6
2009 14.7 16.5 20.8 23.8 27.6 28.7 28.1 27.5 26.5 22.6 17.0 13.9 22.3
2010 12.2 14.7 21.3 25.1 28 28.2 28.3 27.2 25.8 23.9 17.4 11.1 21.9
2011 11 14.5 19.7 23.1 27.1 28.8 27.8 28.6 26.5 N/A N/A N/A N/A
2012 11.2 11.9 19.1 24.5 27.2 28.0 27.9 26.9 26.4 22.7 18.6 14.2 21.5
2013 11.6 15.1 19.2 24.2 27.1 29.3 28.0 26.6 25.5 25.4 18.1 13.0 21.9
Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department
4 . 2 . 3 P re c i p i t a t i o n
The probability that precipitation will occur has been found to vary from different days of July and
August at Karachi throughout the 1992-2012 period.
Precipitation most likely occurs around August 4, in 35% of all days. Precipitation is least likely
around April 27, occurring in 2% of all days.
Figure 4.3: Fraction of days on which different types of precipitation are observed
Thunderstorms are the most severe type of precipitation observed during 38% days precipitation.
They are most likely around August 12, when it is observed during 12% of all days. Drizzle is the most
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severe precipitation observed during 34% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around July
30, when it is observed during 14% of all days. Moderate rain is the most severe precipitation
observed during 22% of those days with precipitation. It is most likely around July 28, when it is
observed during 8% of all days. When precipitation does occur it is most often in the form of
thunderstorms (40% of days with precipitation have at worst thunderstorms) and cloud burst, drizzle
(36%), moderate rain (19%), and light rain (5%).3
The rainfall in Karachi is extremely low and erratic; accordingly this region falls in the semi-arid
climatic zone. The following Table shows the last thirteen years precipitation data recorded at Karachi
Airport station.
Table 4.3: Monthly Amount of Precipitation (mm) at Karachi Air Port
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
2001 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 10.6 73.6 16.2 N/A 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.46
2002 0.0 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 N/A N/A 52.2 N/A 0.0 0.5 0.4 13.87
2003 6.4 21.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.3 270.4 9.8 N/A 0.0 0.2 0.0 54.15
2004 13.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 N/A 3.0 5.6 N/A 39.3 0.0 4.3 13.18
2005 6.6 12.8 N/A 0.0 0.0 N/A N/A 0.3 54.9 0.0 0.0 17.1 18.34
2006 N/A 0.0 N/A 0.0 0.0 0.0 66.2 148.6 21.9 0.0 3.1 61.3 60.22
2007 0.0 13.2 33.4 0.0 0.0 110.2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 52.26
2008 8.0 Trace 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 54.0 37.5 Trace 0.0 0.0 21.0 24.32
2009 3.0 Trace 0.0 Trace 0.0 2.6 159.9 44.0 68.9 0.0 0.0 1.5 55.68
2012 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Trace Trace 8.1 121.0 0.0 0.0 22.8 152.1
2013 Trace 20.0 2.8 30.0 0.0 Trace 5.5 105.4 4.0 1.2 0.0 0.0 168.9
Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department
The rainfall data suggests that July and August are the wettest months and that the maximum rainfall
recorded in Karachi during 2001-2009 period was 270.4 mm during the month of July 2003, while the
maximum annual rainfall was 324.9 mm during the year 2003, followed by 301 mm in 2006 and 294
mm in 2009. Karachi received 147 mm of rain between the evening of 17 July and the morning of 19
July and another 147 mm on August 30 and 31. The year 2013 was not as eventful as in the past.
Karachi reportedly received 140mm of rain and only the low lying areas were affected. .
The wet years have been found to follow a 3-year cycle during the first 9 years of the 3rd Millennium.
The year 2010 was among the wettest years since Karachi City had witnessed more than 5 spells of 50
mm each during the month of July, three major spells of 60 to 100 mm in August and two spells of 25
and 10 mm each in the month of September.
In July and August 2011 again there was heavy rainfall all over Sindh. Hyderabad received about 74 to
103 mm rain in 24 hours and the same amount poured in Karachi and the villages in its outskirts. The
torrential rains resulted in flooding of several villages in Karachi District.
3 (Average Weather for Karachi (https://weatherspark.com/averages/32864/Karachi-Sindh-Pakistan).
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I n u n d a t i o n d u e t o H e a v y R a i n f a l l E v e n t s : Highest rainfall events have occurred in
July 1994: 256.3mm, July 2003: 270.4mm and August 2006: 77mm in 3 hours. According to
observations recorded for the year 2007, August 10 and 11 were witnesses to unusually high rainfall
of 107 mm in 24 hours compared with the normal of about 60 mm for August. The wettest August
ever experienced by the city was in 1979, when over 262mm of rainfall was recorded. The record for
the maximum rainfall within 24 hours in the eighth month was 166mm of rain on August 7, 1979. The
heavy rainfall was not unusual since it was caused by the general monsoon system that travels from
across Rajasthan and lays over Sindh. The monsoon weather system did not move towards
Baluchistan but the penetration of moist currents from Sindh brought scattered to heavy rain in
southern Baluchistan, particularly along its coastal regions.
Figure 4.4: Record of heavy raninfall and flooding
Major inundation and land submergence was noticed in Karchi in July 2003 and August 2006. On
both occasions precipitation pattern and intensity was almost similar. The downpour on both
occasions was a cloud burst. For estimating the impact of inundation on the six corridors, the
maximum intensity of Rainfall of 18th August 2006 at 77mm in about 3 hours i.e. 25.7mm/hour will
be considered critical and adopted for making estimates on land submergence.
4 . 2 . 4 H u mi d i t y
The relative humidity has been found to range from 25% (dry) to 91% (very humid) over the 1992-
2012 period. The air is driest around February 9, at which time the relative humidity drops
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below 33% (comfortable) three days out of four; it is most humid around August 2,
exceeding 83% (humid) three days out of four.
Figure 4.5: Humidity record of Karachi
The average daily high (blue) and low (brown) relative humidity with percentile bands (inner bands
from 25th to 75th percentile, outer bands from 10th to 90th percentile). The trend of variation of
humidity is similar to that followed in the case of temperature and precipitation as is evident from the
following Figure:
Figure 4.6: Graphical presentation of Humidity curves for lower Sindh region (1981-2004)
It has been observed that below normal evapotranspiration given by ETo and above normal relative
humidity (RH) provide ideal conditions for crop production. Contrarily below normal RH and above
normal ETo places the area under water/moisture stress, a condition that negatively affects normal
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growth/yield of crops in the warmer days of summer. It is the stress situations created by high
evapotranspiration, high aridity and hence desiccation of the soil that are largely responsible for the
observed changes in climatic norms.
4 . 2 . 5 Wi n d S p e e d & D i re c t i o n
The meteorology of Karachi is governed by the seasonal variatons in the quality of air over the North
Arabian Sea. The wind blows throughout the year with high velocities during the summer months,
when the direction is southwest to west. During winter the wind blows from north to northeast,
shifting southwest to west in the evening hours. The wind usually carries sand and salt resulting in
severe wind erosion and corrosion. The 2001-2013 data wind velocity and direction indicates that the
velocity varied and ranged between 2.6 m/s to 12.6 m/s during the period. The wind direction is
unsettled and speed is low during the period intervening the two seasons viz. summer and winter.
Figure 4.7: Wind rose for Karachi (Data Source: PMD)
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4 . 2 . 6 A m b i e n t A i r Q u a l i t y & N o i s e
Transportation system and indiscriminate burning of garbage are the dominant sources of air
pollution in Karachi. In the Clifton area, however the burning of garbage is not an environmental
issue. It is the operation of vehicular traffic that is largely responsible for deterioration of air quality
and raising noise emission level. Use of low quality fuel, and increase in the number of vehicles
beyond the capacity of roads are the main reasons for the deterioration of air quality. However, the
impact of air pollution emanating from transportation system has been found limited in Clifton area
to the roadways and that too at traffic intersections and on the middle of the road. Emissions from
stationary sources e.g. residential and business districts associated with fuel combustion for domestic
use and power generation are significant but have limited extent.
Studies undertaken between 1987 and 19944 had raised concern on the deteriorating air quality and
noise levels. Studies over the past decade, had quantified the problem and identified the tremendous
growth in volume of traffic as the main factor responsible for increasing congestion all over Karachi
roads and aggravating the problem.
The study of Noise Pollution in Karachi (1993) Associated Consulting Engineers, prepared for the
Environmental Protection Agency, Sindh5 had shown that the road environment in Karachi, had noise
emission level at critical limits.
The Feasibility Study undertaken for CDGK6 to monitor the air quality at 26 intersections all over the
main corridors of Karachi City from March 2005 to February 2006 has found the levels of pollutants
on major transport corridors of Karachi to be in the following range: SO2 10-40 ppb, NOx 20-241 ppb,
CO 2-17 ppm, CO2 160-616 ppm, PM10 40-490 mg/m3 and Noise 78 dB(A). The air quality andnoise
level at the 26 intersections is noted in Table 4.6.
Ambient air quality monitored at the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Bilawal Chowrangi, the two
critical points of the Project showed that level of primary pollutants was within acceptable limits.
EMC acquired the services of SUPARCO Lab to carryout 24 hours ambient air quality monitoring at
the Project site. The results are presented in Table 4.8 which shows that the levels of primary
pollutants are within acceptable limits except PM2.5. It may be noted that PM2.5 is already high all
over Karachi due to increased anthropogenic activities. According to the study “Effect of air pollution
on daily morbidity in Karachi” conducted by a team of experts at the Aga Khan University’s
department of community health sciences, “the mean PM2.5 levels in Karachi exceeded the WHO’s
24-hour air quality guideline almost every day and often by a factor of greater than five-fold.
Frequent peaks at levels as high as 279 µg/m3 were also recorded. The study shows that higher levels
of PM2.5 are associated with a striking elevation in rates of ER (emergency room) visits and hospital
admissions for cardiovascular diseases.
4 (Report on Status of Air Pollution in Karachi, Past, Present and Future, World Health Organization; 1994, 5 (Noise Pollution Study for Environmental Protection Agency, Sindh, 1995 by Associated Consulting Engineers (Pvt.) Ltd.)
6 (Feasibility Study & Development Of Transportation Control Plan for Karachi Metropolitan, 2006)
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Table 4.6: Ambient Air Quality at 26 major intersections
S. # S I T E S Air Quality Data of 26 Designated SITES
SO2 ppb NOx ppb CO ppm PM10 mg/m3 Noise dB(A)
Max
Min
Ave
rag
e
Max
Min
Ave
rag
e
Max
Min
Ave
rag
e
Max
Min
Ave
rag
e
Max
Min
Ave
rag
e
1 Sohrab Goth 39 18 25 237 28 131 13 3 7 436 78 289 94 67 82
2 Karimabad 39 18 23 195 30 132 13 3 8 429 148 287 81 71 76
3 Liaquatabad # 10 34 18 26 214 32 125 13 3 9 352 40 212 83 69 76
4 Tin Hatti 32 15 24 214 32 142 14 3 8 315 46 160 80 70 75
5 Grumandir 34 18 26 214 32 125 13 3 9 429 148 287 81 71 76
6 Old Numaish 31 10 25 197 35 130 12 2 9 471 68 220 82 73 78
7 Garden Road 27 12 24 235 32 131 14 4 8 469 98 309 86 75 81
8 Tibet Centre 36 12 27 197 30 128 14 2 8 429 148 289 81 70 76
9 Maulvi Musafirkhana 31 10 25 197 35 130 12 2 9 480 150 248 99 68 80
10 Merewether Tower 39 12 23 235 30 133 15 2 8 404 53 222 90 68 80
11 Ziauddin/Chundrigar
Intersection
34 14 22 234 35 119 10 3 6 415 94 228 85 70 78
12 Burns Road 40 13 25 238 21 127 16 2 7 453 95 268 88 71 77
13 Preedy Street 40 11 23 226 23 99 16 2 6 425 74 239 85 74 79
14 Empress Market 36 15 22 232 20 79 17 2 10 326 46 210 91 69 80
15 Metropole Hotel 34 14 22 234 35 119 10 3 6 466 105 287 89 68 78
16 F&T Center 38 13 24 240 32 154 16 2 9 474 133 223 82 70 79
17 Teen Talwar 30 15 22 214 32 142 14 3 8 415 94 228 85 70 78
18 Sunset Boulevard 27 12 20 235 32 131 14 4 8 480 150 248 99 68 80
19 Korangi Road/
Baloch Colony
36 15 22 238 26 83 15 2 9 469 90 229 90 65 79
20 Drigh Road Station 36 16 24 222 20 93 14 2 8 441 98 184 86 64 74
21 KPT 34 16 24 242 20 127 13 4 8 460 81 309 85 69 79
22 Mauripur Road 32 18 25 230 28 96 12 3 7 490 135 210 89 64 77
23 Gul Bai Intersection 34 16 24 242 20 127 13 4 8 460 81 309 85 69 79
24 Nazimabad 40 18 25 230 20 91 16 2 7 452 64 233 96 58 76
25 North Nazimabad 35 18 24 237 27 88 12 3 6 375 49 233 88 64 76
26 Gulshan Chowrangi 39 18 23 195 30 132 13 3 8 436 78 289 94 67 82
Maximum 40 18 27 242 35 154 17 4 10 490 150 309 99 75 82
Minimum 27 10 20 195 20 79 10 2 6 315 40 160 80 58 74
Average 35 15 24 224 28 120 14 3 8 433 94 248 87 69 78
Table 4.7: Ambient Air Quality of Project Area7
Parameters Unit Near Abdullah Shah
Ghazi
Bilawal Chowrangi
Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum
Carbon monoxide ppm 4.2 1.6 3.8 1.2
Carbon dioxide ppm 415 360 400 355
7Environmental Impact Assessment for Bahria Icon Tower Project
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Nitrogen dioxide ppm BDL BDL BDL BDL
Sulphur dioxide ppm BDL BDL BDL BDL
Ozone ppm BDL BDL BDL BDL
PM10 µg/m3 172 135 169 142
Noise dB(A) 60 63
Table 4.8: Ambient Air Quality at Project Site
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4 . 2 . 7 R e c e n t C h a n g e s i n M o n s o o n P a t t e r n
Monsoon history of recent and distant past suggests that excessive sunshine results in high input of
solar energy over the heat zone on Pakistan that has now extended beyond the earlier Nokundi-Sibi-
Mianwali-Gilgit belt. Accordingly the temperatures from the third week of April to second week of
May all along the heat belt and the plains eastward into India are in excess of 45oC. Historically, these
are indications of above normal rainfall in the monsoon season.
The monsoon system that has been bringing rains to Pakistan comprises two system, one that travels
over the tip of the Indian Peninsula into the Bay of Bengal in the east and the other that operates
from the Gulf of Oman in the west Arabian Sea and travels into Baluchistan, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(KP) and Kashmir. It is initiated every year by input of solar radiation over the heat zone which covers
a vast area from Nokundi-Sibi-Jacobabad-Multan-Mianwali and over to Gilgit. The year 2007 was
however witness to 10% above normal total duration of bright sunshine in Pakistan. It ranged for 6 to
9 hrs/day with increasing intensity of radiation ranging from 19 MJ/M² to 23 MJ/M²/day and had an
increasing trend from North to South.
For reasons just stated, it seems that the New Theory on Climate Change postulated by Mirza Arshad
Ali Beg more appropriately explains the position. The Theory holds the increase in salinity of the seas
resulting from an overall drying up of the deltas the world over to be responsible for increase in the
incidence of the extreme events like the incidence of cloud burst or the biting cold that often holds
the Northern Hemisphere in its grip. It is the increase in salinity that has had profound impact on the
climate. Likewise the instability of northern ice front of the Wilkins Ice Shelf and release of the first
icebergs in the year 2009.
The Theory holds that high evaporation rate induced by high temperatures on the hinterland of the
Arabian Sea have led to hyper-salinity of the sea water. The high temperature on vast territory in the
hinterland of the Arabian Sea has
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(i) turned large territory of Pakistan into an extensive heat zone,
(ii) raised the temperature of the North Arabian Sea by 1oC to 1.5oC, and
(iii) evaporated correspondingly larger volumes of seawater.
The heat zone formation over land serves as the main heat engine that drives the monsoon from the
tip of the Indian Peninsula to the Bay of Bengal and along the foothills of the Himalayas to Kashmir,
Punjab and Sindh. The significant rise in temperature of the Arabian Sea raises the surface salinity and
induces salinity steep gradient on the sea; the impact of the two factors can trigger cyclones in the
Arabian Sea, while the correspondingly large volume of water vapour is cause for heavy monsoon
rains in the form of cloud burst, all over the Indo-Pakistan region.
The above average evaporation leads to correspondingly high amount of condensation. Since the
latent heat of evaporation is the same as latent heat of condensation, there would be increase in the
warmth of the surrounding when condensation takes place. The air in the atmosphere, in particular
the troposphere, would gain thermal energy during nucleation of the clouds, while the snow covered
mountain peaks will, on receiving the latent heat, be induced to melt. The above average evaporation
will make larger quantities of water vapour available in the atmosphere; this will lead to larger amount
of energy transfer into the troposphere and thus entail above average rainfall and often cloud burst.
This then is the main reason for Pakistan facing anomalies in weather and extremes of climatic
variations. There have been floods for three consecutive years as a result of excessive moisture in the
atmosphere. Another change that is fast emerging is prologed winter or delay in the onset of
summer. Karachi was witness to prolonged winter which started late in the 3rd week of December and
remained dominant from last week of December 2013 to the 3rd week of January 2014. The average
daily high temperature remained at less than 23°C, while the minimum temperature did not go below
6oC. With the exception of the 2007-08 winter, the Karachi minimum temperature has not dropped
below 6°C.
4 . 2 . 8 Te r r e s t r i a l E n v i ro n m e n t : G e o l o g y G e o m o r p h o l o g y &
S e i s m o t e c t o n i c s
To p o g r a p h y o f t h e M a c r o e n v i r o n m e n t : The macroenvironment of Project area is part
of the synclinorium that lies between Cape Monze and the Korangi Creek, while the
microenvironment lies in the east of Manora Channel from the Oyster Rock to Korangi Creek. It
includes the large shallow intertidal and sub-tidal areas spreading out to 1-5 km with a very gentle
surface gradient of about 1:50. The present sandy beaches of Clifton were way beyond Bath Island
which, according to the above map of Karachi Harbour (1889), creeks and islands, was itself
surrounded by mud flats.
The Cape Monze cliff that projects into the Arabian Sea is part of the 3-9 meter contour that
characterizes the coastline up to the Rann of Kutch. In the sand mass along the coastline there are 30
to 60m high cliffs that have been undercut by storm surges. Intense erosion resulted in cliffs, sea
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caves, arches and blow holes that can be observed on the coastline from Hawkes Bay to Manora
Channel and onwards to Korangi Creek.
The coastal region of the synclinorium is seismically active and has been undergoing continuing
uplift. The uplift has already resulted in the formation of rocky headlands and in exposing portions of
continental shelf. Protected pocket bays and lagoons between the nearly formed headlands have
been rapidly filled by alluvial and fluvial deposits. The material brought to the coast was taken over by
currents and wind for the formation of wide sandy beaches, and migrating sand dunes8.
Figure 4.8: Karachi Harbour Map 1889 - Bath Island was outside of Karachi Town (Map of Karachi
1889) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Khimapold.jpg,)
The synclinorium was part of the delta built by the Indus River by progradation. Renn Pethani, Gharo
Creek and main channel of River Indus were among the main estuaries that flooded the coastline with
fine sand. The following photograph of the surrounding of the ridge on which the shrine of Abdullah
Shah Ghazi are located shows that sand had almost topped the ridge and there was nothing but sand
dunes and a few structures in its surrounding only 65 years back.
8 (Rodman E. Snead, Annals of the Association of American Geographers 57, 550-1967)
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Figure 4.9: Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in the 1900s & 1948
The Indus delta has receded and retreated towards the southeast. This dried up the numerous
estuaries and creeks that characterize the tidal delta and marshy mud flats. The remnant estuaries
developed into a complex system of sea water creeks separated by mud flats and small islands. Mass
shifting induced by tectonic movement is at work on a continental scale in the macroenvironment.
To p o g r a p h y o f t h e M i c r o e n v i r o n m e n t : The topography of the Project area is
completely altered from what was swampy mud flats. The entire area from the Manora Channel to
Clifton has been reclaimed by filling the low marshy lands. The flat sandy plain built along the sea
coast on the recently filled silt and sand sediments has following three types of coastal sediments
(Figure 4.10).
Figure 4.10: Surface Geology Map of Clifton Area, Karachi
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Sand bar deposits: The sand bar deposits have medium to coarse sand, micaceous and shifting sand
dunes as the main constituents.
Coastal sand dune deposits: These comprise medium size sand and shifting sand dunes.
Beach sand deposits: Medium to coarse grained, unconsolidated sand with pebbles and broken shells
are the main constituents of beach sand deposits. These have been marked but keep on shifting by
wind into small coastal dunes.
G e o l o g y & L a n d f o r m s : Geologically the Clifton area is composed of the Middle and Upper
Tertiary rock formations that include fresh, and slightly weathered recent and sub-recent shoreline
deposits. The shoreline deposits are derived from Gaj/Manchhar formations of lower Miocene to
Middle Miocene/Upper Miocene to Pliocene age. The deposits have the inter-bedded sandstone and
shale together with subordinate amounts of large size gravels or conglomerate as the principal
constituents.
The seabed is predominantly sand and silt while the sediment of the coast beyond Gizri/Korangi
Creek is fine grained and the soil is typically of continental shelf/Indus delta origin. The gravels or
conglomerates are loosely bonded with medium to coarse brown sand and are derived from
Manchhar Formations of Pleistocene age. The Gaj formation consists mostly of limestone with
subordinate shales and sandstone. The limestone is hard, sandy and extremely fossiliferous. This
formation overlies Nari formation which consists of harder limestone beds and shales.
Manchhar formation overlies Gaj formation and is spread all along the coastal areas of Karachi but is
best exposed in Clifton, Ibrahim Hydri, Gizri, Korangi and Landhi areas. This formation is composed of
sandstone, clay beds, cemented sand and gravel (pseudo Conglomerate). Sandstone is thick, porous
and friable and also contains bands of conglomerate.
The clay/shale has different colours varying from grey, brown, chocolate and orange, but the most
frequent variety is light brown and dark grey in colour. Sandy layers are also found inter-bedded with
clay and gravel.
The mudflats are recent deposits of the delta area while soil cover is the drift type that has been
slightly withered with time and marine activity. It seems to have been transferred with the flood flows
from Malir River and the Indus on the east.
S u b s u r f a c e G e o l o g y : The subsurface geology was studied by analysis of samples of soil
collected from different depths of the bore holes. The analysis shows that major sediments include i)
filled material (water saturated) upto 6 meters depth, ii) silty fine sand, medium hard siltstone and clay
stone sediments upto 15 meters below the surface, and iii) solid strata comprising hard sandstone
and siltstone upto the depth of 46 meters.
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Table 4.9: Subsurface Geology in the Clifton Area, Karachi
0/6 meters Fill Material
6-8 meters Grey, loose to medium
Dense, silty, fine SAND,
trace to little mica
8-15 meters Grey, medium dense, silty, fine, SAND,
Grayish brown, medium hard, SILTSTONE/CLAYSTONE,
Low plasticity
15-33.meters Grey, friable to medium
Hard, SANDSTONE,
Fine to Medium grained
33-34.5 meters Grey, medium hard, SILTSTONE
34.5-46 meters Grey, friable to medium hard, SANDSTONE, fine grained
Characterization of soil at subsurface level of Project site was carried out by geo-technical analysis.
The analysis has shown the presence of loose to medium dense, fine sand underlain by sand and
gravel or conglomerate. The conglomerate is underlain by hard, silty clay and medium hard clay
stone which extends up to the investigated depth of 30 m.
Major subsurface deposits can be described as follow:
Brown, loose to medium dense, fine sand, little silt, trace mica
Brown, very dense, cement sand and gravel/conglomerate
Brown, hard, silty clay
Brown, medium hard, clay stone
Ground water table was noted at 2.00 m depth below the existing ground level at the time of
survey.
Sand and gravel/conglomerates occur at varying depth in the four different boreholes drilled for
soil characterization. In BH-1 it occurs at 4.5m depth whereas in BH-4 it occurs at 8.5 m depth.
The thickness of this layer also varies considerably. In BH-1 the thickness is only 3.0m whereas in
BH-4 it is 8.5m. In all the boreholes the conglomerate is underlain by hard clay/claystone which
continues up to 30m depth.
Liquid and plastic limit tests show that the clay stone possesses low to medium plasticity.
Unconfined compression tests conducted on clay stone core samples show that the strength
typically varies from 5 to 18 kg/cm2. Compression tests for consolidated soil show that the clay
stone deposit is over-consolidated and possesses low compressibility.
S e i s m o t e c t o n i c s o f t h e A r e a : Seismotectonic Study for macroenvironment of Project site
aims at elucidating the impact of tectonic movement induced seismicity on the microenvironment.
Seismicity in the Karachi region is related to the pressure potential being built at the convergence of
the three lithospheric plates: Indian, Arabian, and Eurasian at the Triple Junction (Figure 4.3) formed
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by the intersection of Owen fracture zone, the Makran subduction zone and the Ornach-Nal fault. The
Murray Ridge extends northward into Pakistan, to unite the Ornach-Nal-Chaman Fault system
onshore, displaying a strike-slip boundary between the major tectonic plates of India and Eurasia9.
Karachi and its environs fall in the synclinorium, described earlier as being part of Indus deltaic region.
Recession of the delta and its retreat towards the southeast dried up its numerous channels, estuaries
and creeks that characterize the synclines and are part of the active faults. Tectonic instability of this
region can be attributed to this large number of reverse and tear faults and the recently described
wrench faults.10
Figure 4.11: Seismicity & Natural Disasters - Pakistan, 1990-2000.
9 (Baloch, S.M. & Quirk, D.G., Mesozoic to Neogene Tectonism and Evolution of Murray Ridge, Pak. Jour. of
Hydrocarbon Research, Islamabad, 13).
10 (Riding the mobile Karachi arc, Pakistan: Understanding tectonic threats Ghulam Sarwar and Anwar Alizai, Journal of
Himalayan Earth Sciences 46(2) (2013) 9-24).
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Figure 4.12: Schematic plate tectonic sketch map showing the Karachi Arc and its regional tectonic
framework.
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Figure 4.13: Earthquake epicenter plots for the time period 1902-2013.
The first number refers to the list numbers on Tables 1 and 2 whereas the second number represents
depth of hypocenter in kilometers. The Red Crosses represent neighborhoods plagued by recurrent
seismic activity, usually of low magnitude11
Sarwar and Alizai have compiled a list of earthquakes during the 1902-2013 period and also
produced the above map that gives a distribution of hypocenters of earthquakes during the same
period. From the distribution of hypocenters it has been inferred that the entire Karachi Arc and
surrounding areas are seismically active with hypocenters ranging in depth from 0-500 kilometers.
From the depth of hypocenters it is inferred that active deformation has taken place at multi-levels
ranging from shallow to deep in the basement. Quite a few of the recent epicenters are found within
or in close proximity to parts of Karachi that have faced recurrent earthquake activity.
Seismic activity in the region is the result of the triple junction as well as the Karachi Arc, located in
southeastern Pakistan, as a large fold and thrust belt that shows Neogene thin-skinned eastward
movement (Sarwar and DeJong, 1979; Schelling, 1999). Seismic activity in and around the region
shows that the Karachi Arc has been active since long in prompting the eastward movement of the
11 (Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department, June 2013 & Ghulam Sarwar and Anwar Alizai,
Journal of Himalayan Earth Sciences 46(2) (2013) 9-24)
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delta. It is possible that the movement is related to the rebound that takes place after mass shift.
Sarwar has suggested that the eastward creep of Karachi Arc is directly related to active subsidence of
the Hyderabad graben that underlies it and also defines the northern and southern limits of the
Karachi Arc.12
It may be added that subsidence such as that on Southern coast of Sindh, occurs naturally as a result
of plate tectonic activity above active faults, and in places where fluid is expelled from underlying
sediments and is common at river deltas that may have receded. Earthquakes arise and result from
the release of the force along the growth fault plane. As a result, many different growth faults are
created as sediment loads shift basinward and landward.
E a r t h q u a k e s : Historically the coastal region has suffered a number of earthquakes. A list of
earthquakes that have affected Karachi and its vicinity has been compiled by the Meteorological
Department and listed by Sarwar and Alizai. Some of the events are listed in Table-4.10.
Table-4.10: List of Earthquake in Indus Deltaic Region and surrounding within Latitude 23.0-25.0N and
Longitude 67.5-71.0E
Date Lat-N Lat-E Magnitude
Depth (km) Richter Scale
26-09-1977 25.4 68.2 33 4.5
25-11-1982 25.6 67.9 33 4.9
17-12-1985 24.9 67.4 33 4.9
24-12-1985 24.8 67.6 33 4.7
10-09-1991 24.4 67.7 33 4.8
19-09-1991 24.3 68.7 33 4.7
23-04-1992 24.3 68.8 33 3.7
24-12-1992 25.2 67.7 33 3.6
05-02-1993 24.6 68.9 33 4.3
26-01-2001 23.4 70.3 17 7.6
The largest earthquake that was incident in 1819, had a magnitude of 8.0; it was felt over almost all
over the Indian sub-continent. Eastern branch of the Indus River was blocked, long tract of alluvial
land was uplifted, and there was surface faulting and subsequent subsidence in the epicentre area.
This fault produced a scarp called “The Allah Bund”.
The coastal zone of Karachi has since become highly dynamic due to operation of a number of
marine and terrestrial processes. Effects of recent earthquake on January 26, 2001 have been noticed
in the deltaic areas. The earthquake occurred along an approximately East-West trending thrust fault
at shallow (less than 25 km) depth.
12 (Sarwar, G., 2004. Earthquakes and the Neo-Tectonic Framework of the Kutch-Hyderabad-Karachi Triple
Junction Area, Indo-Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Hydrocarbon Research, 14, 35-40).
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Until the mid-1950s, the Indus Shelf used to experience seasonal reversal in the direction of currents
along with the long-shore drift, high river discharge in summer and little or no river discharge in
winter, moderate tide range, extremely high wave energy and strong monsoon wind from the
southwest in summer and from the northeast in winter. The interaction of the sea with the coastline at
the delta region is now dominated by erosive action of the sea. The overburdened coastline is being
eroded and submerged while the sea is intruding into several kilometers inland. The coastal area is
facing the threat of seismotectonic incidents as well as gradual subsidence.
4 . 2 . 9 L i q u e f a c t i o n F e a t u r e s C a u s e d b y E a r t h q u a k e
Liquefaction is a total loss of strength due to undrained restructuring. Disturbance, by shearing or
vibration, destroys soil skeleton, with loss of grain contact and decrease of porosity, soil load is
transferred to pore water, water pressure>normal stress=0, and soil acts as a liquid. Drainage reduces
pore water pressure, allows grain contact and thixotropic recovery of strength (Waltham, 2002).
Strong shaking produces liquefaction in the fine sands and silts during the earthquake. This causes
the mineral grains to settle and expel their interstitial water to the surface. If the pore-water pressure
rises to a level approaching the weight of overlying soil, the granular layer behaves as a viscous liquid
rather than a solid and leads to collapse of even engineered structures. Liquefaction has been
abundant in areas, where groundwater lies within 10 meters of the ground surface (Husain et al.,
2004). Investigators typically have designated sites as “Liquefied” on the basis of the presence of
surficial liquefaction features, such as venting of sediment to the surface (i.e., sand boils), ground
cracking associated with liquefaction (e.g., lateral spreading), or surface settlements. Other evidence
of liquefaction include tilting or settling of overlying structures and floating of underground
structures (Olson et al., 2002). Mahmood and Shaikh (2008) investigated the “sinking” of a water
tower in 2006 near Clifton area and speculated about liquefaction due to mild earthquakes.
4 . 2 . 1 0 Ts u n a m i s
Tsunamis in Indo-Pak region are relatively rare. Destructive tsunamis that may have occurred in the
Arabian Sea have not been documented.
27th/28thNovember 1945 (origin Makran): The 1945 earthquake of magnitude of 8.3 on Richter Scale
induced a Tsunami that was the deadliest. It originated off the Makran coast in Pakistan and was
centred at 97.6 kilometres SSW of Pasni, 98.5 kilometres SE of Gwadar, and 408 kilometres W of
Karachi. It reached a height of 40 feet in some Makran ports and caused great damage to the entire
coastal region. The fishing village of Khudi, some 30 miles west of Karachi, was wiped out completely.
All the inhabitants and their huts were washed away. The towns of Pasni and Ormara were badly
affected. Both were reportedly under water after the tsunami.
At Karachi, the tsunami arrived from the direction of Clifton and Gizri. It ran along the oil installations
at Keamari and flooded a few compounds. The waves were 2.0 meter high when they reached
Karachi. There was a delay of more than one hour between the main shock and arrival of the
damaging tsunami at Karachi.
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The sea is 3.36 meter (11ft) below the road level and several meters below the average ground level
at Project site in Clifton. This would suggest that a tsunami of magnitude similar to the 1945 Tsunami
will not affect the 9.0 meter contour at the Abdullah Shah Ghazi-Jehangir Kothari Parade that are
away from the beach front. A tsunami wave of much higher magnitude than 9 meter may be a matter
of concern to the area but such events are less likely to occur in the north of the Arabian Sea.
4 . 2 . 11 S t o r m s
Movement of cyclone storms in the Arabian Sea is generally in the west-north-westerly direction. The
one that moved into the coastal area on May 12, 1999 changed direction and hit the coastal area of
Badin while Karachi was in the peripheral area and only rain showers of moderate intensity were
recorded. This coast is otherwise classified outside the zone of cyclone activity for the Arabian Sea.
Thunderstorm frequency is also low and is reported to occur at an average rate of 10
thunderstorms/year.
The extended period of sunshine over Pakistan during the summer of 2007 raised the heat content of
the Arabian Sea that is adjacent to the heat zone of Pakistan. This had upset the heat balance and
hence the water balance of the region. Northern Areas of Pakistan was lashed by windstorm in late
May. This was followed by the Tropical Cyclone Gonu in the first week of June, and then by Tropical
Cyclone 03A from the south of Mumbai, and thereafter in the third week of June by Tropical Cyclone
04B nicknamed Yemyin, and then a series of depressions traveling almost directly to the heat zone in
Pakistan. This time again Karachi remained in the periphery of the cyclone activity zone but it did
receive 61 mm rainfall during the cyclone movements about 100 km offshore.
4 . 2 . 1 2 H y d ro l o g y
W a t e r Q u a l i t y o f K a r a c h i : Because of unsafe and insufficient water supply and low
sanitation coverage, as well as people’s poor hygiene habits, around 60 percent of children suffer
from diarrhea that is fatal if not treated in time. Concerns have been raised by various quarters about
contamination in drinking water supply in the distribution network and possible linkages with water
borne diseases in the city. The seriousness of the issue can be rated from the fact that in the year
2002, the Provincial Ombudsman Sindh, Justice Haziqul Khairi in response to a growing number of
reports received from all over the Sindh province about the supply of contaminated drinking water,
instituted a study for investigating the claims of the public and assessing the causes of contamination.
Regarding the quality of surface water supplied to the consumers, the Study Report prepared by Dr.
Mirza Arshad Ali Beg, concluded that about 75% of the water supplied to Karachi is chlorinated.
Shortfall in the availability of water for drinking constrains the distribution to intermittent supply that
is one of the main causes of water pollution.
The water that leaks through the distribution mains and smaller pipes, particularly the ones that were
laid long time before and in the Third Phase of the Bulk Water Supply scheme for Karachi, creates an
underground pool during the supply hours. This serves as a nursery to the micro-organisms,
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including fecal coliform released by the leaky sewers crisscrossing the water supply pipes. Sewage
might enter into the distribution system due to vacuum created during idle hours. This is the reason
for the gradual depletion of free-active chlorine in the treated water as it proceeds from the filter
plant to the distribution network and in its onward journey to the households. The findings of the
analysis of the water samples suggest that the water even though treated gets contaminated in the
distribution network and on its way to the consumers.
This finding suggests that the water as received by the residents is not safe for drinking. Assessment
of ground water quality in the aforementioned Ombudsman Study Report indicated that ground
water has been over exploited in Sindh and the drying of traditional wells in the vegetable and fruit
growing areas in the suburbs of Karachi has occurred. Although water quality has not been tested yet,
groundwater pollution by nitrates, pesticides, heavy metals and hydrocarbons discharged into the
environment is not negligible. The salinity of groundwater in Southern Sindh, particularly in the
coastal areas has increased since over pumping has induced seawater to flow in, causing what is
known as seawater intrusion.
The fact, also acknowledged by KW&SB that 150 mgd (681,900 m3/day) of water supplied to the
consumers is chlorinated and bypasses the KW&SB filter plants is an important indicator of the need
of addressing this issue on a priority basis. The Ombudsman Study Report says that the water drawn
from about 95% of the wells in the city of Karachi is contaminated with sewage bacteria and also
contains total dissolved solids beyond permissible limits. The Ombudsman Study Report also
documents that 90% of the survey sample tests conducted by PCSIR indicate that the water is unfit
for drinking purposes referring to the guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
W a t e r Q u a l i t y o f P r o j e c t A r e a : Seawater sampled at the open sea at Clifton had SAR
122.75 and TDS 32400 at 17.6oC as well as ionic concentration typical of seawater. The seawater at the
point of discharge of effluent from Clifton and Shireen Jinnah Colony had less than normal SAR and
TDS for seawater. The domestic effluent samples collected from Bilawal House nala had very high
BOD and COD values and hence were carrying highly contaminated wastewater with high
proportions of chemical and biological constituents. The samples collected from two springs at
Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shrine and the Ratnawar temple down below had SAR 14.85 and 13.94; TDS
4850 and 3300; pH value 7.39 and 7.63; DO 2.13 and 2.57 and almost the same proportion of the
anions and cations, with sodium chloride being the main constituent. As such they may be
considered as leachates of some specific soil with groundwater of moderate salinity but both
contaminated with sewage organisms.
Seawater sampled at the seashore from Sheerin Jinnah Colony to Native Jetty had SAR varying from
123.91 to 130.92 and TDS varying from 30300 to 32900 at 17.1oC to 17.9oC; DO varying from 3.17 to
4.56 and ionic concentration typical of seawater changing with the contamination by industrial and
domestic waste discharges. The sample from under the bridge over Malir River at Shah Faisal Colony
had SAR typical of a mix of industrial and domestic effluent. The industrial effluent in the mix had pH
8.75 which is typical of textile industry wastewater.
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Table 4.11: Water Quality of Project Area
Sr.
#
Parameters RESULTS
Units 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Temperature °C 18.7 17.6 17.4 17.8 18.3 17.2
2 pH Value SU 7.49 8.25 8.11 7.39 7.63 7.44
3 Color App. Susp Susp Sewage Clear Clear Green
4 TDS mg/L 1834 32400 1403 4850 3300 20300
5 Conductivity µs/cm 3980 56100 3010 9840 69200 36000
6 DO mg/L 2.27 4.47 2.06 2.13 2.57 2.93
7 Chloride (Cl-1) mg/L 714 17964 497 1718 1378 10112
8 Bicarbonate (HCO3) mg/L 182 782 182 612 297 612
9 Sulfate (SO4) mg/L 318 1128 260 810 418 1730
10 Nitrate (NO3) mg/L 13 4.8 11 78 57 8.8
11 Carbonate (CO3) mg/L BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL
12 Calcium (Ca) mg/L 119 368 113 203 165 417
13 Magnesium (Mg) mg/L 63 198 59 154 78 193
14 Sodium (Na) mg/L 418 11794 273 1158 871 7094
15 Potassium (K) mg/L 3.8 136 7 63 31 128
16 5-days BOD mg/L 127 BDL 198 BDL BDL 147
17 COD mg/L 188 BDL 364 BDL BDL 293
18 Mercury (Hg) mg/L BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL
19 Lead (Pb) mg/L BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL 0.0657
20 Cadmium (Cd) mg/L BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL 0.0208
21 Arsenic (As) mg/L BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL
22 Nickel (Ni) mg/L BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL BDL
23 Zinc (Zn) mg/L 0.0754 0.0227 0.0358 BDL BDL 1.396
24 Total Plate Count
@37°C
cfu TNTC TNTC TNTC TNTC 385 TNTC
25 Total Coliforms @42°C cfu TNTC TNTC TNTC 215 170 TNTC
26 Escherichia Coli
@37°C
cfu + ve + ve + ve + ve + ve + ve
27 Sodium Absorption
Ratio (SAR)
: 7.68 122.75 5.16 14.85 13.94 71.77
1- Domestic Effluent Clifton Cantonment Board (CCB). 2- Sea Water. 3. Sewage Effluent (Nala-Billawal
House). 4- Spring Water Abdullah Shah Ghazi. 5- Spring Water (Hindu Temple Clifton). 6- Sewage
Effluent Shereen Jinnah Colony.
The analytical data in the above Table show that the seawater sampled at the open sea at Clifton had
SAR 122.75 and TDS 32400 at 17.6oC as well as ionic concentration typical of seawater. The seawater
at the point of discharge of effluent from Clifton and Shireen Jinnah Colony had less than normal SAR
and TDS for seawater. The domestic effluent samples collected from Bilawal House nala had very high
BOD and COD values and hence were carrying highly contaminated wastewater with high
proportions of chemical and biological constituents. The samples collected from two spring at
Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shrine and a temple down below had SAR 14.85 and 13.94; TDS 4850 and 3300;
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pH value 7.39 and 7.63; DO 2.13 and 2.57 and almost the same proportion of the anions and cations,
with sodium chloride being the main constituent. As such they may be considered as leachates of
some specific soil with groundwater of moderate salinity but both contaminated with sewage
organisms.
According to the criteria established earlier the sample from NORI is seawater mixed with sewage and
industrial effluent; the sample from the outfall is sewage mixed with industrial effluent. The spring
water samples from the two sources have SAR 15.41 and 13.01, and TDS higher than that for
freshwater. The DO is ~4.0 in both cases but TDS from spring at Abdullah Shah Ghazi is ~ 5000, while
that from the temple is ~2800 at 24oC and 28oC respectively, with both of them having
proportionately higher content of Na and Cl, and high bicarbonate and sulphate. The samples
collected earlier from the two spring at Abdullah Shah Ghazi Shrine and a temple down below had
SAR 14.85 and 13.94; TDS 4850 and 3300; pH value 7.39 and 7.63; DO 2.13 and 2.57 and almost the
same proportion of anions and cations, with sodium chloride being the main constituent. As such
they may be considered as leachates of some specific soil with groundwater of moderate salinity but
both contaminated with sewage organisms.
Water samples collected from S h r i n e o f A b d u l l a h S h a h G h a z i and the R a t n e s h w a r
Te m p l e have SAR values, and TDS higher than that for freshwater. The DO is ~2.2 at 18oC and ~4.0
at 24oC and 28oC respectively and TDS from spring at Abdullah Sha Ghazi is ~ 5000 at 17.8oC and
4980 mg/L at 24o C, while that from the temple is ~3300 at 18.3oC and 2846 at 28oC respectively. With
both of them having proportionately higher content of Na and Cl, and proportionately high
bicarbonate and sulphate ions, they would be classed as leachates of some specific soil with
groundwater of moderate salinity but both contaminated with sewage organisms.
S e w e r a g e / S a n i t a t i o n : About 60-70% of the water supplied to Karachi City returns as
sewage. A total quantity of 315 mgd (1,432,000 m3/d) of domestic and toxic industrial wastewater is
generated in the city. There are three sewage treatment plants in Karachi. The total design capacity of
these treatment plants is 151 mgd (686,000 m3/d). The untreated sewage is disposed of into the sea
through nallahs and rivers including the Lyari and Malir Rivers. The total length of sewers is
approximately 3,290 km and ranges from 8 inches (200 mm) to 84 inches (2,130 mm) diameter of
trunk sewers, secondary sewers and laterals.
Domestic sewage is a major source of pollution. National Conservation Strategy (NCS) states that
almost 40% of deaths are related to water borne diseases. The situation is further aggravated by the
addition of untreated wastewater from small-scale industries.
Karachi's untreated wastewater including domestic sewage and industrial wastewater is discharged
into the Lyari and Malir rivers, which finally flow into the Arabian Sea. This wastewater has begun to
pose a negative influence on the marine environment, as the channel water is contaminated not only
with bacteria but also with toxic chemicals. Water pollution also extends a savage threat to wildlife.
Animals drink water out of polluted water bodies, ailing lagoons, rivers and streams. This sickens the
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animals and some of them do fall dead. Survival of small invertebrates, micro fauna and flora is also
threatened. The Malir River drains into the Arabian Sea via the Korangi Creek/Ghizri Creek. Effluent
discharged into Korangi Creek are mixed and diluted by wave action and they do not pollute the
seawater at Clifton Beach.
The Lyari River flows into the Arabian Sea via the Lyari Estuary/Manora Channel. This discharge also
finds its way into the harbor area and flows towards Clifton Beach. The affected area harbors
mangrove forestation on limited area. Tests conducted in the harbor area have indicated Dissolved
Oxygen (DO) and BOD to be at critical levels. The wastewater discharged into the harbour carries
human pathogens and the concentrations of these on the sediments increase the risk of uptake by
shell fish and other benthic organisms and hence into the food chain.
In Karachi, drinking water supply lines and open sewage drains in the streets are laid side by side. As a
result, water is frequently contaminated when pipes are corroded and/or when pipe joints are
inappropriate.
Industrial wastewater contains toxic chemicals in many cases. It is alarming that most industries have
been started without proper planning and wastewater treatment plants. They just dispose of
untreated toxic wastewater into nearby drains, canals or rivers. There is no doubt that untreated
wastewater contributes to major pollution loads into their water bodies in Karachi city.
S t o r m Wa t e r D r a i n a g e S y s t e m : The following Table outlines storm water drainages and
nallahs under each township administration. Drainages are artificial water channels for storm water
drainage; on the contrary, nallahs are natural water channels. Much drainages are connected to
nallahs and some drainages connected to river directly; Nallahs discharge into rivers such as Lyari
River and Malir River receiving storm water. As sewage collection system in Karachi City is not enough
and its maintenance is not satisfactory, storm water drainage and nallahs have to receive sewage all
year long in addition to storm water in rainy season.
Table 4.12: Town-wise Storm water Drainage/Nallah Length
Town Depth (m) Width (m) Length (km)
Keamari Town 1.21 0.91~3.04 7.62
SITE Town 2.13 3.65 16.08
Baldia Town 1.22 2.43 11.77
Orangi Town 1.52 2.43~3.65 34.1
Lyari Town 1.37 0.6~13.7 19.4
Saddar Town 1.37 3.05 11.14
Jamshed Town 1.5 2.43 33.8
Iqbal Town 3.64 2.4~15.2 28.0
Faisal Town 1.22~4.57 1.52~24.0 20.1
Landhi Town 1.22 2.43 35.36
Korangi Town 1.52 2.74 36.4
North Nazimabad Town 1.22 2.4 30.7
North Karachi Town 1.22 2.4 45.1
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Table 4.12: Town-wise Storm water Drainage/Nallah Length
Gulberg Town 1.37 2.4 22.1
Liaquatabad Town 1.52 3.65 19.5
Malir Town 1.22 6.04 6.15
Bin Qasim Town 1.22 3.64 14.63
Gadap Town 1.22 3.65 24.43
Total 416.38
Source: Karachi Water Supply Improvement Project, KWSB
There are no exclusive pumping facilities for storm water drainage in Karachi City. However, many
pumping stations called “ejector”, which were constructed for sewage discharge to natural nallahs or
rivers have worked as storm water pumping facilities in rainy season.
Roadside drains are cleaned by KW&SB one to two months before monsoon season comes every
year. Removed and collected silt/garbage is conveyed to designated solid waste disposal sites.
However, roads are cleaned afterwards by town administration and silt/garbage is transferred to
drains again. This is said to be how inundation is caused. In addition to above mentioned
administrative issues, many drains and nallhas have been already encroached on by illegal houses
and buildings. Strong enforcement of building code and other relevant laws is expected.
Another major issue with malfunctioned drains/nallahs is that garbage is easily and routinely dumped
to these facilities, which leads to their reduced sections. Comprehensive solid waste management
system has to be introduced.
4 .3 B i o l og i ca l E nv iro n me n t o f Ka r a c h i C i ty D i s t r i c t
Condition of the physical environment described above suggests that it would be difficult for natural
vegetation to survive under harsh climatic conditions, accentuated by drought, and multiplied by land
clearance activities demanded by the forces of urbanization. Natural vegetation is restricted all over
the urban area to depression areas where moisture would be available for greater part of the year
and longer period of time. The native vegetation is of the desert scrub type comprising a wide variety
of bushes and shrubs, including capris aphylia (karir), Acacia nilotica (babul), Acacia senegal (khor),
Salvadora oleoides (khabar) and Prosopsis senegal (kandi), Acacia arabica (kikar), Tamarix gallica (lai),
tamarix aphylla, willo or bahan (populus euphratica), Aerua javanica, Maerva arenaria, Abutilou sp,
Amaranthus viridis, Cordia gharaf, Rhazya sticta, karil (capparis aphyila), acacia or siris (acacia lebbek),
pipal (ficus religiosa) and tamarind (tamarindus indica).
4 . 3 . 1 Ve g e t a t i o n o f K a r a c h i C i t y D i s t r i c t
The biodiversity of vegetation on the sandy plains and low hills of urban Karachi is characterised by
ephemeral species plus trees and shrubs, including Prosopis cineraria, Acacia nilotica, Tamarix aphylla,
Lycium shawii, Salvadora oleoides, Zizyphus sp., Calligonum polygonoides and Leptadenia
pyrotechnica. Species on calcareous hills in Gulistane Jauhar, for example include Vernonia
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cinerascens, Commiphora wightii, Grewia tenax and Euphorbia caducifolia. The shallow slopes with
varied soils on recent and subrecent substrates at low altitudes chiefly on plains have the trees
Zizyphus nummularia, Salvadora oleoides, and Capparis decidua, and shrubs Grewia tenax, Seddera
latifolia, and Rhazya stricta that are the most commonly found species, together with the grasses
Ochthochloa compressa, Cymbopogon jawarancusaand Aristida funiculata. With Prosopis cineraria,
Indigofera oblongifolia and Euphorbia caducifolia, the above combination of species makes up most
of the total vegetation coverage of Karachi City District.
The following is a list of vegetation, including varieties of trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses reported
for the Karachi City District.
Table 4.13: Trees
Local Name Botanical Name Family
Khor Acacia Senegal Mimosaceae
Kandi Prosopis Cineraria Mimosaceae
Babul Acacia nilotica Mimosaceae
Vilayati Kikar Acacia farnesiana Mimosaceae
Lai Tamarix dioica Tamaricaceae
Ghaz Tamarix aphylla Tamaricaceae
Willo/bahan Populus euphratica
Yar, Peelu Salvadora oleoides
Jhile Indigofera oblongifolia
Table 4.14: Shrubs
Local Name Botanical Name Family
Booi Aerva javanica Malvaceae
Maerva arenaria
Abutilon sp. Malvaceae
Amaranthus virdis
Thuhar Euphorbia caducifolia
Liar Cordia gharaf Boraginaceae
Wena, Shahnar Rhazya stricta Apocynaceae
Khabar Salvadora persica Salvadoraceae
Karer Capparis decidua Capparidaceae
Dahi Prosopis juliflora Mimosaceae
Table 4.15: Herbs
Local Name Botanical Name Family
Ak Calotropis procera Asclepiad-aceae
Lussan Medicago lupulina Papilionaceae
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Table 4.16: Grasses
Local Name Botanical Name
Sar Saccharum griffithii
Dab Desmostachya bipinnata
Ecological risk of high order has been induced by land clearance and removal of natural vegetation
from the plains during the urban sprawl to make room for agriculture and urbanization. These zones
include extensive flat alluvial plains, covered by relatively similar vegetation, mostly small trees and
dwarf shrubs. Tall, clump-forming desert grasses are common. Signs of extensive drought damages
done by land clearing activities are apparent and hence the natural vegetation that has survived in
these areas has adapted to harsh conditions.
The two principal habitat types on the course of Lyari and Malir Rivers to central areas of Karachi City
District are arid hills, and low-lying sandy areas. Vegetation of the hill slopes and hillsides comprise
mainly camelthorn (Prosopis spicigera), wild caper (Capparis decidua) and large succulents such as
Euphorbia caudicifolia. The sandy areas are typically vegetated with a sparse cover of small trees such
as Acacia senegal, Zizyphus nummularia and Prosopis cineraria, and shrubs and shrublets such as
Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Calotropis procera, Rhazya stricta, Inula grantioides, Zygophyllum simplex
and Sueda fruticosa.
In the City of Karachi land clearance for urbanization has taken heavy toll of the natural vegetation,
while in the suburban areas land has been cleared to make room for growing vegetables, for
construction of poultry sheds, poultry estate and dairy farms and above all for urban construction.
The density of natural vegetation is consequently low to very low.
Calotropis procera (akk) that used to be common on generally poor sandy soil is barely surviving.
Only one species of the vegetation community, Tamarix pakistanica, is endemic to Pakistan. It is salt-
tolerant, and often a dominant species in saline areas. There are no areas in the three zones where
water table is high, and hence the vegetation that grows best and forms dense patches of good
height is not found.
Wide distribution of vegetation ensures survival of botanical species. Promotion of vegetation was
neither an objective of any development activity in the Towns, nor was an ecological risk assessment
carried out to identify the long term and short term risks involved in tree felling activities.
Furthermore mitigation measures that need to be taken to minimize the risks were neither
recommended nor adopted. Accordingly no organized replantation of the earlier trees or shrubs has
been noticed.
4 . 3 . 2 F a u n a o f K a r a c h i C i t y D i s t r i c t
The impoverished as well as degraded environment resulting from non-availability of surface as well
as groundwater and discharge of untreated wastewater into Lyari and MalirRivers has irreversibly
reduced the biodiversity of the indigenous as well as introduced vegetation and hence it offers very
little chance for the survival/growth of fauna in the macroenvironment of Karachi City District. There
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are even otherwise no habitats of large and small animals, birds or reptiles within Karachi City District.
Domestic livestock, particularly goats, sheep and camels, are found grazing in the suburban towns.
Water availability is the main constraint for the distribution of many animal species.
Large wild mammals are virtually absent in the areas within Karachi City District. There are a number
of characteristic bird species that have adapted to the agricultural environment in the outskirts and
suburban areas. These include Indian Roller, common mynah, pigeon, and house sparrow. The areas
are characterized by shrubs that are heavily browsed and by a network of livestock trails that provide
ready access to practically all wildlife habitats. Some herders are observed being accompanied by
dogs, which are likely to increase disturbance to resident wildlife.
The following is a list of mammals and birds found in Sub-urbanTowns. The list contains common
and zoological names as well as their status of occurrence/distribution.
Table 4.17: Rare species in Karachi City District
Common name Zoological name Status
Mammals
Indian Hedgehog Paraechinus micropus very rare
Asiatic Jackal Canis aureus Rare
Chinkara Gazella bennettii Very rare
Indian Fox Vulpes bengalensis Rare
Small Indian Mongoose Herpestes javanicus Common
Indian Pangolin Manis crassicaudata Rare
IndianDesert cat Felis silvestris ornata Rare
Indian crested porcupine Hystrix indica Rare
Ratel or Honey Badger Mellivora capensis Vulnerable
Hog Deer Axis porcinus Very Rare
Cairo Spiny Mouse Acomys cahirinus Rare
Grey spiny mouse or Rock mouse Mus saxicola Rare
Desert Cat Felis libyca ornate Rare
Bovidae: antelope, gazelle, cattle,
sheep & goats
Domestic Sheep Ovis aries
Domestic Cattle Bos Taurus
Domestic Goat Capra hircus
Indian Water Buffalo Bubalus arnee
Arabian Camel Camelus dromedaries
Domestic Horse Equus caballus
Leporidae: Hares & rabbits
Hares rabbits Common
Reptilia
Spiny tailed lizard Uromastyx hardwickii Common
Krait Bangarus caerulus Vulnerable
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Table 4.17: Rare species in Karachi City District
Indian Python Python molurus Very Rare/Endangered
Mugger Crocodylus palustri Vulnerable
Gharial Gavialis gangeticus Endangered
Marsh crocodile Crocodulus palustris Endangered
Aves
Dalmatian pelican Pelicabus crispus Vulnerable
Marbled teal Marmaronetta angus tirostris Vulnerable
Pallid harrier Circus macrourus Lower risk
White backed vulture Gyps bengalensis Lower risk
Pallas’ fish eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus Rare/Vulnerable
Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata
macqueenii
Endangered
Chukor Atectoris chukar chukar Endangered
Closed-Barred Sand grouse Pterocles indicus Endangered
4 . 3 . 3 F i s h e r i e s a n d A q u a t i c E c o l o g y
Karachi City District does not have seasonal rivers, nalas and nadis, which carry freshwater. As such
there is no ecological concern on aquatic ecosystem. Green turtles with their habitat on the sandy
beaches of HawkesBay and Sands Pit are among the endangered species.
4 . 3 . 4 B i o d i v e r s i t y
Growth of settlements and construction activity all around Karachi City District has greatly altered the
biodiversity of its ecosystem. There has been constant loss of biodiversity as a result of fragmentation
and degradation of natural environment of the Hub, Lyari and Malir River valleys and their catchment
areas during the last 45 years. This has given rise to considerable decline in a number of native
species of animals, birds, reptiles, fisheries and plants. Diversity of wildlife seems to have been
reduced substantially while many plant species have either become scarce or have been lost as a
result of urbanization of the land. However, it seems to be preserved to a certain extent in the core
habitat of Kirthar National Park (KNP) which is adjacent to Hub Dam and the northeast edge of
GadapTown of the Karachi City District.
It is being realized now that the serious loss of Biodiversity in Karachi City District is due to:
Widespread historic conversion of natural ecosystems to agriculture followed by urbanization.,
and
Rapidly accelerating depletion of habitats and the continuing diminution of species and their
populations as well as the natural or modified ecosystems.
The incidence of the two factors has critically threatened the following three ecosystems that
have lost their value for species-richness and/or unique communities of flora and fauna, besides
being continuously threatened with habitat loss and degradation.
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Table 4.18: Critically Threatened Ecosystems in Karachi
Ecosystem Characteristics Significance Threats
1. Coastal area extending
over a 9 metre contour from
Cape Monze to Manora
Channel-Bundal Island and
beyond Gizri-Korangi Creek
system to Gharo Creek - and
coastal wetlands
Extensive mangroves
and mudflats
inadequate protected
area coverage
Rich avian and
marine fauna
Diverse mangrove
habitat Marine turtle
habitat
Reduced freshwater flow
from diversions
upstream Cutting
mangroves for fuel
wood Drainage of
coastal wetlands
2. Hub, Lyari & Malir River
Valleys
Extensive Drainage
Basins
Migratory flyway of
global importance
Water diversion/
drainage Agricultural
intensification Toxic
pollutants
3. Lyari & Malir Catchment
areas
Region of great
antiquity
Many endemic and
unique species
Hunting parties from the
Gulf
4 . 3 . 5 F a u n a , E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i e s , P ro t e c t e d A r e a s
Much of the natural fauna has succumbed to the process of urbanization. There are no habitats of
plants, small animals, birds and reptiles close to the project’s microenvironment including the nallas,
and Lyari River. Also there is no Wildlife Protected area in the vicinity of the Project Area.
4 .4 Ka r a c h i Tr a ns p o r ta t io n Sys t e m
According to the result of the person trip survey conducted in 2008, 40% of the whole traveling mode
is “walking”, while “public transport” is 31%, “private car” is 15%, “motorcycle” is 10%, and “para-
transit” is 5%.
Figure 4.14: Persons Trip Distribution by traveling mode (Source: The Study on Future Traffic Demand
Forecast of Karachi City, August 2008, JICA)
Pakistan does not have a Transport policy, nor a road policy, or fuel policy. Consequently neither the
vehicles are road worthy, nor are the roads vehicle worthy. The overall policy framework for the
transport sector in Pakistan has been unable to produce a modern and efficient transport sector to
address the needs of the country in terms of vehicular traffic movement. The policies in the transport
sector have been ad-hoc and ambiguous, as such they have not succeeded in developing the
appropriate modal split between road and rail except in the provision of truck and bus services. There
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is no road policy for construction, rehabilitation and maintenance, or for the operation of specific set
of modes on the roads and highways. Even if there are policies and guidelines for certain actions, they
are not implemented.
There is no road-capacity related vehicle policy. Vehicles are being added at a rate of 413 units per
day on Karachi roads whose capacity had been exceeded by a factor of 3 in the 1960s. This has
resulted in inefficiency in the sector and higher costs to the user. There is lack of clarity regarding the
participation of the private sector in the Transport Sector. The government has been unable to forge
a clear set of policies that would help to forge an effective partnership between the public and private
sectors for the development and growth of the Transport Sector in Pakistan.
Table 4.19: Top 20 Road Section of Traffic Volume
Rank Road Name Section Traffic Volume
(Veh./day)
1 Nawab Siddiq Ali Khan Road Nazimabad Petrol Pump to Nazimabad 1st
Chorangi
172,294
2 Shahra e Faisal Korangi Rd. (FTC) to RegentPlaza 170661
3 Shahra e Faisal Shaheed-e-Millat Rd. to Tipu Sultan Rd. 168514
4 Shahra e Faisal H.I.R Road to Shaheed-e-Millat Rd. 156886
5 Shahra e Pakistan Ayesha Manzil to Karimabad 155721
6 Nawab Siddiq Ali Khan Road Nazimabad 1st Chorangi to Lasbella 152445
7 M.A.Jinnah Road Numaish to Garden Road 151674
8 Shahra e Faisal Tipu Sultan Rd. to Sh-e-Quaideen 147648
9 Shahra e Faisal Star Gate Intersection to Rashid Minhas Rd. 141217
10 University Road NIPA Intersection to Civic Centre 136052
11 Kh-e-Sher Shah Sakhi Hassan to Five Star Intersection 134184
12 Rasid Minhas Road Gulshan Chorangi to NIPA 131146
13 Sh-e-Pakistan Water Pump to Ayesha Manzil 129760
14 S.M.S. Road Gharibabad to Civic Centre 127060
15 Jehangir Road Daak Khana to Teen Hatti 126545
16 University Road Civic Centre to S.S.S. Pir Pagara Rd. (New
Town)
126391
17 Kh-e-Sher Road Nagan Chorangi to Sakhi Hassan
Interasection
122535
18 Rasid Minhas Road Fazal Mill to Gulshan Chorangi 121997
19 S.M. Tanfiq Road Liaqatbad No.10 to Daak Khana 119132
20 Rasid Minhas Road Jauhar Morr to Drive-in-Cinema 116395
The traffic of these roads is increasing every year along with the increase in the number of registered
vehicles, and causes serious congestion mainly in the morning and evening peak hour. The project to
promote grade separation to alleviate congestion is progressing in the city.
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The number of registered vehicles is increasing every year and that of 2005 attains to 1.432 million
vehicles, of which 48% are “Cars/Jeeps”, while 38% is “Motorcycle”. These 2 kinds account 86% of the
total.
Figure 4.15: Composition of Registered Motor Vehicles
Figure 4.16 shows a transition of the number of registered vehicles by each year. A very high increase
rate is seen in fiscal year 2004-2005, so that attention should be paid to the trend in the future.
Figure 4.16: Growth of Motor Vehicle Registration
Table 4.20: Growth in the Number of Registered Vehicles in Karachi (1997 to 2006)
Year Motorcycles /
Scooters
Cars /
Jeeps
Motor
Rickshaws
Taxis Mini buses/
Buses
Trucks Total including
others also
1997 374004 428894 24013 14907 15390 17226 948322
1998 370863 440625 25256 39907 15557 17437 985818
1999 381021 460243 27558 39967 16273 17903 1022093
2000 390154 478644 29275 39967 17145 18299 1057039
2001 397311 493436 30487 39967 17569 18567 1083327
2002 406003 511082 31454 39967 17915 19056 1113917
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2003 440063 534531 33003 39967 18390 19431 1177315
2004 462881 553990 35782 39967 18639 19696 1225245
2005 547095 681851 39462 44480 20209 20789 1353886
2006 649067 746917 42043 44944 21071 22989 1610757
ACGR 5.67% 5.70% 5.76% 11.67% 3.19% 2.93% 5.44%
Source: Excise & Taxation Department, Govt. of Sindh
4 . 4 . 1 Tr a f f i c D e m a n d F o re c a s t S t u d i e s
The population explosion due to rapid urbanization in the Karachi city is the key element in causing
the traffic problems and transportation issues which need urgent planning and designing to meet the
future requirements. Karachi is now among the ten top ranking largest cities in the world. Karachi's
reported population in 1940 was 387,000, in 1960 it was 1,913,000, in 1981 it was 5,208,000 and in
1998 it was 9,957,726. In 2005, the population of Karachi was estimated at 15.1 million which is
expected to reach 27.5 million marks by 2020.
The number of households in 2005 was about 2.1 million and by 2020 it would increase to 3.9 million,
which means an increase of 1.77 million households, at an average size of 7 persons per household.
Even at decreasing average annual growth rate (from 4.15 percent in 2005 to 3.5 percent in 2020), the
increase in absolute terms is staggering and will put heavy pressure on the physical, infrastructure,
financial and institutional systems of the city. The urban population growth rate also increased after
1998 from 3% to 6% till the year 2005.
Figure 4.17: Trend of Population in Karachi (Source: The Study on Future Traffic Demand Forecast of
Karachi City, August 2008, JICA)
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The past and projected population growth estimates of all towns of Karachi City are presented in
table 4.21
Table 4.21: Population estimates and projection for towns of Karachi City
Town
No.
Town Name
Population (1,000)
1
KimariTown
2005 2010 2015 2020
583.6 1,030.4 1,477.2 1,923.9
2 SiteTown 709.9 771.5 833.0 894.5
3 BaldiaTown 616.7 781.2 945.6 1,110.1
4 OrangiTown 1,098.9 1,208.9 1,318.9 1,428.9
5 LyariTown 923.2 938.6 953.9 969.3
6 SaddarTown 935.6 997.9 1,060.3 1,122.7
7 JamsheedTown 1,114.2 1,262.8 1,411.4 1,559.9
8 Gulshan-e-IqbalTown 949.4 1,424.0 1,898.7 2,373.4
9 ShahFaisalTown 509.9 543.9 577.9 611.9
10 LandhiTown 1,012.4 1,282.4 1,552.3 1,822.3
11 KorangiTown 829.8 1,161.7 1,493.7 1,825.6
12 NorthNazimabadTown 753.4 828.8 904.1 979.5
13 New KarachiTown 1,038.9 1,108.1 1,177.4 1,246.6
14 GulbergTown 688.6 757.4 826.3 895.2
15 LiaquatabadTown 985.6 1,002.0 1,018.4 1,034.9
16 MalirTown 604.8 705.6 806.4 907.1
17 BinQasimTown 480.9 1,038.4 1,596.0 2,153.6
18 GadapTown 439.7 1,319.0 2,198.4 3,077.7
19 Cantonment Areas 844.5 1,100.7 1,356.9 1,613.0
Total 15,119.8 19,263.3 23,406.7 27,550.1
Growth Rate 1.27 1.22 1.18
Yearly Growth Rate (%) 5.0 4.0 3.3
Source: The Study on Future Traffic Demand Forecast of Karachi City, August 2008, JICA
On the basis of above projected population of Karachi in different towns the network of roads and
arterials simulated is shown in the figure 4.18 by a specific traffic forecast and demand study.
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Figure 4.18: Future highway network for simulation
4 . 4 . 2 F u t u r e Tr a v e l D e m a n d
The population of Karachi city in 2020 is estimated to be 27.5 million and the vehicle ownership, the
ratio of families who own motorcycles or private cars, is estimated to be 61.6%. Therefore, the future
trip generation can be estimated by multiplying the trip rate with the number of vehicles owned by
household and vehicle owning household members, respectively. The trip generation comes out to
be 48.5 million trips per day for the year 2020.
The comparison of the Origin and Destination (OD) matrix between the existing and future marked as
"Desired Line" or "Desire Line"; the width of which precisely corresponds to the travel demand
between the zones. It seems that the travel demand becomes higher and their destination, or origin,
spreads in all direction within the study area in the future while the existing demand is remains low
and limited between CBD and northern part of Karachi City.
The change of the modal share between the existing and future can be summarized as follows:
The share of motorized trips considerably increases from 60.4% to 65.3%.
The share of the trips by private car in the future indicates 17.6%: motorcycle and private car trips
occupy more than one third of the total trips.
Though the share of public transport has no big change, approximately 31%, the number of trips
in the future is roughly twice as many in the existing.
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Table 4.22: Future Trip Generation
No vehicle owner Vehicle owner Total
Trip Rate 1.59 2.42 -
Population aged over 4 years (1,000) 8,859.5 14,212.9 23,072.4
No. of Trip Generation (1,000) 14,089.8 34,415.4 48,505.2
Source: The Study on Future Traffic Demand Forecast of Karachi City, August 2008, JICA
Table 4.23: Town wise break-up of person trip
S.
No.
Town Name Town
Population
No. of Persons
Interviewed
No. of Daily
Trips
by Individuals
Daily
Person
Trips
(million)
1 Kimari Town 469,905 2,585 5,143 0.935
2 Site Town 573,087 3,453 6,876 1.141
3 Baldia Town 497,835 2,172 4,315 0.989
4 Orangi Town 887,029 3,741 7,468 1.771
5 Lyari Town 745,214 3,139 6,266 1.488
6 Saddar Town 755,214 4,047 8,211 1.532
7 Jamsheed Town 899,790 3,851 7,703 1.800
8 Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Town
766,342 3,994 8,066 1.548
9 Shah Faisal Town 411,617 1,944 3,875 0.820
10 Landhi Town 817,231 3,399 6,791 1.633
11 Korangi Town 669,848 4,333 8,658 1.338
12 North Nazimabad
Town
608,183 3,055 6,212 1.237
13 New Karachi Town 838,601 3,922 7,820 1.672
14 Gulberg Town 555,841 3,306 6,775 1.139
15 Liquatabad Town 795,589 4,351 8,722 1.595
16 Malir Town 488,184 2,308 4,602 0.973
17 Bin Qasim Town 390,610 2,156 4,332 0.785
18 Gadap Town 354,918 1,615 3,168 0.696
19 Cantonment Areas 569,592 887 1,768 1.135
Total 12,094,629 58,258 116,771 24.227
Source: The Study on Future Traffic Demand Forecast of Karachi City, August 2008, JICA
Table 4.24: Most travelled destinations in Karachi
S. # Place Description Town Name Total Daily Person Trips
1 Liaquatabad Town Liaquatabad Town 1,290,678
2 Banaras Chowk Site Town 1,194,016
3 Nagan Chowrangi New Karachi Town 899,511
4 Quaidabad Bin Qasim Town 822,321
5 Tower Saddar Town 729,831
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6 Nipa Chowrangi Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town 713,837
7 Korangi 1 1/2 Korangi Town 690,541
8 Baloch Colony Jamsheed Town 686,716
9 Garden Saddar Town 611,959
10 Numaish Saddar Town 605,701
Source: The Study on Future Traffic Demand Forecast of Karachi City, August 2008, JICA
4 .5 D e g ra d a t i on o f Ka ra c h i Ci ty E nv iro n me n t b y
Tr a ns po r ta t io n S y s te m
Karachi city had, since the mid-1970s started experiencing difficulties in handling the transportation
of ever increasing cargo traffic, including containerized cargo from the Port and its wharves in
Keamari, East Wharf and West Wharf to warehouses in the CBD as well as inland destinations.
The phenomenal growth resulted in tremendous problems in providing the basic infrastructure
facilities. Transport Sector was the victim of neglect due to constraints of adequate allocation of funds
to cater to the ever-increasing problems of the sector. The road network could be developed around
3 localities viz. Port, Central Business District (CBD), and Saddar. The present Karachi road network of
about 8,000 km comprises narrow streets in the central business districts to fairly wide roads in the
planned localities. The vehicular traffic problem is worse confounded at the intersections in the CBD
by the operation of different types of motorized vehicles including motorcycles, cars, trucks, trailers
and a diversity of other modes ranging from push carts to animal driven carts which have to move
through lanes that have been encroached by hawkers.
The Karachi Mass Transit Study had in 1987 projected the population to grow to 14 million by the
year 2000 and to 21 million by 2010. It anticipated the city to grow larger in size as well as density. It
suggested that the affluence would increase, and as a result motor vehicle ownership rates would rise
more rapidly than population growth rates and its people would travel longer distances and in
greater concentrations. The increasing demands of private vehicles for available road space, if
unchecked, were projected to result in unacceptable traffic problems besides deterioration of public
transport service that would be limited to captive riders(Karachi Mass Transit Study, Karachi
Development Authority, 1987). High traffic volumes, significant variations in vehicle types and
condition, undesirable driving practices, together with inadequate road design and conditions were
cited as contributing to high accident rates, severe congestion, and long delays. The forecast has
come true and the said conditions now epitomize traffic conditions along all major west – east
running arterials and the north – south running link roads in Karachi,
4 . 5 . 1 A i r a n d N o i s e Q u a l i t y D e t e r i o r a t i o n
Karachi City’s air is deteriorating due to uncontrolled vehicular growth and exhaust emissions. A
major contributor to this pollution and generation of greenhouse gases (GHS) are the heavy transport
vehicles and two stroke engines, especially from an aging fleet of vehicles in poor mechanical
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condition and low levels of fuel efficiency. The high levels of sulphur in an automotive diesel (0.5% -
1%) is seen as a major contributor to sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM10) in ambient
air.
According to Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PEPA), major share of emission from motor
vehicles is from urban areas. Although not quantified, it can be attributed to a relatively small number
of smoky diesel and 2-stroke (rickshaw) vehicles. Traffic congestion affects average speed of vehicles
and consequently fuel consumption and pollution (greenhouse gases). The health costs associated
with air pollution are equivalent to 1% of GDP.Particularly at health risk are those living within a
quarter of a mile of high-volume roads (those carrying 10,000 -20,000 vehicles per day) and those
living near roads with a large amount of truck traffic.
4 . 5 . 2 N o i s e P o l l u t i o n f ro m Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n
Noise pollution from vehicles, especially in residential areas, is above recommended levels. Major
contributors to noise pollution are frequent and indiscriminate use of vehicle horns, removal of
silencers from rickshaws and other 2-stroke vehicles, high volumes of traffic especially heavy vehicles.
4 . 5 . 3 To t a l E m i s s i o n s f ro m D i f f e r e n t F u e l U s a g e
The emissions from the operation of vehicular traffic on gasoline during the year 2004-2005 were as
follows:
Table 4.25: Emissions from Vehicles using Gasoline during the year 2004-2005
Air Pollutants from Gasoline Gasoline Emission (Tons/day) Emissions (Tons/year)
CO2 2106.48 768865.2
Hydrocarbon 11.397 4159.905
Sulphur dioxide 0.424 154.76
Nitrogen oxides 8.096 2955.04
Particulate matter 1.872 683.28
Total Emission 2128.269 776818.2
The emissions from vehicular traffic using diesel as fuel during the year 2004-2005 were as follows:
Table 4.26: Emissions from Vehicles using Diesel during the year 2004-2005
Air Pollutants from Diesel Diesel Emission (Tons/day) Emissions (Tons/year)
CO2 5585.12 2038569
Hydrocarbon 5.418 1977.57
Sulphur dioxide 27.717 10116.71
Nitrogen oxides 22.924 8367.26
Carbon monoxide 90.654 33088.71
Particulate matter 5.002 1825.73
Total Emission 5736.835 2093945
The total emission from gasoline and diesel oil during the year 2004-2005 was 2.870763 million tons
at the rate of 7865.104 tons/day. It may be seen that there has been an increase from 2,503,791.52
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tons/year at a rate of 166 tons/day during 2000-2001 to 2.870763 million tons at the rate of 7865.104
tons/day during the last four years. This is in conformity with the increase in the number of vehicles
operating on the city roads over the years.
4 .6 Roa d N e tw or k i n a n d aro un d Pro je c t A rea
Clifton and DHA traffic are provided access through many major and minor streets. The number of
lanes in each direction of traffic range from 2 to 4. The intersection control in Clifton area is through
either signalized intersections or through traffic circles. Some of the major roads and their key
engineering characteristics are presented below.
S h a h r a h - e - F i r d a u s i
Shahrah-e-Firdausi is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median. On the east, this road
starts from A. T. Naqvi Roundabout and ends at Bilawal Chowrangi, after which it converts to Dr.
Zaiauudin Ahmad Road. Beyond At Naqvi Roundabout, this road converts to 26th Street, which is one
of the major entry/exit points of DHA. This road is approximately 1.25 km in length.
Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar, Park Towers Shopping Center, South City Hospital and Bar-B-Q Tonight
are some of the major traffic attractors on this road. Additionally, it is one of the major routes to
access Grammar School and Beach front, thereby attracting high traffic during the weekdays and
weekends.
S h a h r a h - e - I r a n
Shahrah-e-Iran is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median varying from 2-4 meters. The
road starts at Shahrah-e-Firdausi to the south and ends at II Talwar Roundabout. This road is
approximately 1 km in length. Park Towers Shopping Center, Convent Jesus and Mary, SZABIST
University and Deputy High Commission of the United Kingdom is located on this road.
O l d C l i f t o n R o a d
Old Clifton Road is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median varying from 2-4 meters.
The road starts at Shahrah-e-Firdausi to the south and ends at II Talwar Roundabout. This road is
approximately 1.25 km in length. Mohatta Palace, Driving License office are some of the major
attractions located off this road.
S h a h r a h - e - A t t a r
Shahrah-e-Attar is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median 4 meters wide. The road
starts at Sea View Road to the south and ends at AT Naqvi Roundabout. This road is approximately
750 m in length. This road is one of the major accesses to the Beach Front and DHA. The Russian
Consulate and many businesses are located on this road.
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S h a h r a h - e - F i r d a u s i
Shahrah-e-Firdausi is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median. On the east, this road
starts from A. T. Naqvi Roundabout and ends at Bilawal Chowrangi, after which it converts to Dr.
Zaiauudin Ahmad Road. Beyond At Naqvi Roundabout, this road converts to 26th Street, which is one
of the major entry/exit points of DHA. This road is approximately 1.25 km in length.
Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar, Park Towers Shopping Center, South City Hospital and Bar-B-Q Tonight
are some of the major traffic attractors on this road. Additionally, it is one of the major routes to
access Grammar School and Beach front, thereby attracting high traffic during the weekdays and
weekends.
S h a h r a h - e - I r a n
Shahrah-e-Iran is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median varying from 2-4 meters. The
road starts at Shahrah-e-Firdausi to the south and ends at II Talwar Roundabout. This road is
approximately 1 km in length. Park Towers Shopping Center, Convent Jesus and Mary, SZABIST
University and Deputy High Commission of the United Kingdom is located on this road.
O l d C l i f t o n R o a d
Old Clifton Road is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median varying from 2-4 meters.
The road starts at Shahrah-e-Firdausi to the south and ends at II Talwar Roundabout. This road is
approximately 1.25 km in length. Mohatta Palace, Driving License office are some of the major
attractions located off this road.
S h a h r a h - e - A t t a r
Shahrah-e-Attar is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median 4 meters wide. The road
starts at Sea View Road to the south and ends at AT Naqvi Roundabout. This road is approximately
750 m in length. This road is one of the major accesses to the Beach Front and DHA. The Russian
Consulate and many businesses are located on this road.
S e a V i e w R o a d
Sea View Road is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median 4 meters wide. The road starts
extends upto Khayaban-e-Saadi to the west and runs along the beach. This road is approximately 12
km long. This road is one of the major accesses to the Beach Front and DHA. Dolmen Shopping
Center, Beach View Club, Ibn-e-Qasim Park, Beach Front, Cineplex and MCDonalds are some of the
major traffic generators on this road.
2 6 t h S t r e e t
26th Street is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median 2 meters wide. The road extends
from Shahrah-e-Firdausi to the west and runs through DHA to the east. The road is approximately 9
km long. 26th Street services the residential population of DHA Phase 6 and 8 and is one of the major
access routes to/from DHA. Several shopping areas, schools and offices are located on this road.
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Z a m z a m a B o u l e v a r d
Zamzama Boulevard is a four (4) lane bi-directional road separated by curb stones. The road starts
from 2 Talwar Roundabout to the west and runs through DHA to the east where it ends at DHA
Country and Golf Club. This road is approximately 9 km long with several signalized and unsignalized
traffic controls at major junctions. Zamzama Boulevard services the residential population of DHA
Phase 4, 5 6 and 8 and is one of the major access routes to / from DHA. Several shopping centers and
offices are located on this road. It is also the main access to Naval Residential Colony.
K h a y a b a n - e - S h u j a a t
Khayaban-e-Shujaat is a major road access point to and from DHA. The road extends from 3rd
Zamzama Street and ends at Sea View Road in DHA Phase 8. This road services the population of
DHA Phase 5, 6 and 8. It also provides alternate access to Neelum Colony. Khayaban-e-Shujaat is a
four (4) lane bi-directional road separated central curb and is approximately 8.5 km long.
G i z r i R o a d
Gizri Road provides major access point to and from DHA from Clifton through Khayaban-e-Roomi
and Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road. Gizri Road connects Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman
Siddiqui Road and Khayaban-e-Hafiz on the same alignment while passing through the Gizri
Commercial area and PNS Haider establishment of Pakistan Navy (PN). Gizri Road has four lanes (2 in
each direction) working as Service Roads to access the Gizri commercial area, P&T Colony and nearby
localities while a four-lane flyover connecting the intersection the Punjab Chowrangi with Khayaban-
e-Hafiz in DHA runs through the center of the road alignment. This road is approximately 2 km long.
K h a y a b a n - e - I q b a l
Khayaban-e-Iqbal is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated with curb stones. The road starts from
II Talwar Roundabout and turns into Abdullah Haroon Road near the Clifton Bridge. This road is
approximately 2 km long. Khayaban-e-Iqbal is the major entry/exit point to Clifton area. Several
businesses, commercial arcades and residential areas are located on and off this road.
C h a u d h a r y K h a l i q - u z - Z a m a n S i d d i q u i R o a d
This is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated with curb stones. The road starts from Submarine
Chowrangi in Clifton Cantonment and merges into Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road. This road is
approximately 2.75 km long. Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Road is one of the major entry /exit point
to Clifton area. Several businesses, commercial centers and residential areas are located on and off
this road, including the Sindh Chief Minister house.
K h a y a b a n - e - S a a d i
Khayaban-e-Saadi is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated by a 4 meter median. The road starts
from Sea View Road to the south and ends at Khayaban-e-Roomi to the north. This road is
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approximately 2 km long. Khayaban-e-Saadi is the major entry/exit point to Clifton area. Several
businesses, commercial arcades and residential areas are located on and off this road.
S u n s e t B o u l e v a r d
Sunset Boulevard is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated by a 1-2 meter median. The road
extends from Khayaban-e-Roomi to the west and ends at Korangi Road. This road is approximately 2
km long. Sunset Boulevard is one of the major entry/exit point to Clifton and DHA areas. This road’s
traffic mix consists of private vehicles and heavy vehicles which access this corridor to/from the
Karachi Port.
K h a y a b a n - e - R o o m i
Khayaban-e-Saadi is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated by a 2-4 meter median. The road
starts from M.T. Khan Road to the west and converts into Sunset Boulevard at the junction of Gizri
Boulevard. This road is approximately 5 km long. Many major residential, commercial and shopping
centers such as GOR, The Forum Shopping Mall, Boat Basin and Gizri Commercial Center are located
along this corridor. Khayaban-e-Roomi’s traffic mix consists of private vehicles and heavy vehicles
which access this corridor to/from the Karachi Port.
M . T. K h a n R o a d
M. T. Khan Road is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated by a central curb. The road starts from
Jinnah flyover and converts in to Club Road at the junction of PIDC intersection. This road is
approximately 3 km long. This road is one of the major accesses to the Karachi Port. Mai Kolachi
bypass near the new US Consulate ends at this road. Many businesses, clubs, residential complexes
and port related businesses are located in this road. This road carries heavy traffic from the port up to
the Mai Kolachi bypass and vice versa.
C l u b R o a d
Club Road is a four (4) lane undivided road connecting Shahrah-e-Faisal with M.T. Khan Road. The
road starts at the intersection of Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad Road/M.T Khan Road to the south and ends at
Hotel Metropole to the north. This road is approximately 1 km long. Several important landmarks
such as the PIDC house, Sheraton, Pearl Continental, Chief Secretary House, Karachi Gymkhana and
Hotel Metropole are situated along this road.
K o r a n g i R o a d
Korangi Road is a major arterial connecting Shahrah-e-Faisal to the Korangi and Landhi Industrial
areas. Korangi Road is an eight (8) lane bi-directional road separated by a 1-2 meter median and is
approximately 7 km long. Korangi Road is one of the major entry/exit point to Clifton and DHA areas.
Freight traffic accesses Korangi Road from the Korangi and Landhi Industrial areas and utilizes Sunset
Boulevard for onward journey to the Karachi Port and vice versa.
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4 . 6 . 1 E x i s t i n g Tr a f f i c S i t u a t i o n o n M a j o r R o a d s
Shahrah-e-Firdausi, Khayaban-e-Saadi, Zamzama Boulevard and some other major streets are
operating within acceptable LOS. Khayaban-e-Roomi (from M.T. Khan Road to Punjab Chowrangi)
exhibits excessive delays. Khayaban-e-Iqbal (from II Talwar to Hotel Metropole) also experiences
severe congestion. Excessive delays are also witnessed on Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Road.
The existing road network performance based on LOS and v/c ratio is given in Table 5.1 below.
Figure 4.19: Existing v/c ratios on Study Area Roads
P e r f o r m a n c e o f S h a h r a h - e - F i r d a u s i
Shahrah-e-Firdausi between Bilawal Chowrangi and Park Towers is performing under capacity with
the v/c ration at 0.56 (LOS ‘A) as shown in Table 4.27. The section between Park Towers and A.T.
Naqvi Roundabout experiences minimum delays with the v/c ratio at 0.23 (LOS ‘A), reflecting a
practical spare capacity of 77% over the weekdays.
Table 4.27: Shahrah-e-Firdausi Existing Network Performance
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P e r f o r m a n c e o f S h a h r a h - e - I r a n
The network performance on Shahrah-e- Iran from II Talwar to Park Towers indicates that the v/c
ratio ranges from 0.15 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.76 (LOS ‘C) as shown in Table 4.28. The v/c of 0.76 (LOS ‘C’) is
experienced at the intersection of II Talwar. This road has practical spare capacity for future traffic
increases.
Table 4.28: Shahrah-e-Iran Existing Network Performance
P e r f o r m a n c e o f O l d C l i f t o n R o a d
Old Clifton Road from II Talwar to Park Towers is an under-utilized. The v/c ratio of the existing
conditions is 0.1 (LOS ‘A’).
P e r f o r m a n c e o f Z a m z a m a B o u l e v a r d
The model results show that Zamzama Boulevard operates within capacity between II Talwar and
Khayaban-e-Shamsheer. V/c ratio on Zamzama Boulevard segment from Do Talwar to Khayaban-e-
Shamsheer is 0.37 (LOS ‘A’) as shown in Table 4.29. However, Zamzama Boulevard is the busiest
commercial area of DHA. On street parking and frequent stopping maneuvers increase delays reduce
the effective capacity of the road and increases delays.
Table 4.29: Zamzama Boulevard Existing Network Performance
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P e r f o r m a n c e o f K h a y a b a n - e - S h u j a a t
Khayaban-e-Shujaat from II Talwar to 26th Commercial Street operates at v/c 0.41 (LOS remaining ‘A’).
However, certain segments of the road operate at v/c ration of 0.67 (LOS ‘B’) as shown in Table 4.30.
Table 4.30 Khayaban-e-Shujaat Existing Network Performance
P e r f o r m a n c e o f G i z r i R o a d
Gizri Road between Submarine Chowk and Khayaban-e-Shamsheer experiences significant delays
with the v/c ratio reaching up to 1.43 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 4.31. The flyover on Gizri Road
performs under capacity. However, the delays are more pronounced at the Submarine Chowk
signalized intersection.
Table 4.31: Gizri Road Existing Network Performance
P e r f o r m a n c e o f D r. Z i a u d d i n H o s p i t a l R o a d
Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road from Ziauddin Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi operates at a LOS ‘A’ with
the v/c ratio being 0.40 as shown in Table 4.32. The road has effectively 60% of spare capacity for
future increase in traffic.
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Table 4.32: Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road Existing Network Performance
P e r f o r m a n c e o f K h a y a b a n - e - I q b a l
Khayaban-e-Iqbal between the Schon Circle underpass and Sind Club experience heavy delays. The
v/c ratio on various segments of the road ranges from 1.24 (LOS ‘F’) to 2.45 (LOS ‘F) as shown in Table
4.33. Significant delays are experienced at the III Talwar intersection. The section between the Schon
Circle underpass and Clifton Bridge has a reduced right-of-way due to on street parking, which
reduces the effective road capacity and increases congestion.
Table 4.33: Khayaban-e-Iqbal Existing Network Performance
P e r f o r m a n c e o f M o u l v i Ta m i z u d d i n ( M T ) K h a n R o a d
Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road exhibits excessive delays from the US Consulate to Sind Club with the
v/c ratio reaching nearly 3 (LOS ‘F’) in the existing conditions as shown in Table 4.34. This is primarily
due to the two lane bridge (one lane in each direction) connecting the new US Consulate to PIDC
intersection. The PIDC intersection having been signalized creates a bottleneck for the traffic
approaching / leaving the intersection. Additionally, the plying of freight vehicles from the Port and
nearby go downs adds significantly to the traffic congestion.
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P e r f o r m a n c e o f M a i K o l a c h i B y p a s s
The existing v/c ratio on Mai Kolachi Bypass from the new US Consulate to Boat Basin is 1.2 (LOS ‘F’)
as shown in Table 4.34. This is primalrily due to the presence of freight vehicles who use this route to
reach the Karachi Port from Korangi and Landhi Industrial areas.
P e r f o r m a n c e a t K h a y a b a n - e - R o o m i
Khayaban-e-Roomi section from Boat Basin to KESC head office experiences significant delays with
the v/c ratio nearing 1.1 (LOS ‘F), thereby depicting saturation. Since this road is an extension to Mai
Kolachi Bypass, the freight traffic causes severe congestion on this road, especially at junctions of
Boat Basin, Submarine Chowk and KESC head office. The road capacity on links between the
intersections is sufficient to cater to the existing traffic demand. Table 4.34 shows the existing network
performance.
P e r f o r m a n c e o f S u n s e t B o u l e v a r d
Khayaban-e-Roomi becomes Sunset Boulevard at the intersection of KESC head office. Between KESC
head office and Defence Mor intersection with Korangi Road, the road operates at a LOS of ‘C’ with
the v/c ratio at 0.73 as shown in Table 4.34. Sunset Boulevard has practical spare capacity; however
the presence of signalized intersections increases congestion.
P e r f o r m a n c e o f K o r a n g i R o a d
Korangi Road carries a high number of traffic, both private vehicles and freight traffic. Korangi Road
between Defence Mor and Qayyumabad flyover experiences severe congestion due to the presence
of heavy traffic on this route. Heavy traffic coming from the Korangi / Landhi industrial area travels to
the Karachi Port and vice versa through the Defence Mor intersection. Korangi Road is also a major
bus route, which reduces the network performance due to excessive stops. The existing v/c ratio on
Korangi Road ranges from 1.25 (LOS ‘F’) to 1.75 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 4.34.
P e r f o r m a n c e o f C l u b R o a d / S h a h r a h - e - F a i s a l
Club Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal between Hotel Mehran and Hotel Metropole experiences significant
delays in the existing conditions with v/c ratios reaching up to 6.92 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 4.34.
The delays are primarily caused at the intersection at PIDC and at Hotel Metropole, which results in
increased delays.
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Table 4.34: Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass,Khayaban-e-Roomi, Sunset Boulevard,
Korangi Road, Club Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal Existing Network Performance
P e r f o r m a n c e o f C h o u d h a r y K h a l i q - u z - Z a m a n S i d d i q u i R o a d
Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road experiences severe delays between PIDC House to
Submarine Chowk. The existing v/c ratio on sections of this corridor ranges from 1.0 (LOS ‘F’) to 1.83
(LOS ‘F) as shown in Table 4.35. The significant delays are caused at the intersections of PIDC and at
Submarine Chowk.
Table 4.35: Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Existing Network Performance
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4 . 7 S o c io - E co no mi c C o ns i d e ra t i o ns i n Ma cro
e n v iron me n t o f Pro j e c t Are a
Among the 18 towns of the city district Karachi, Saddar Town has been described as a VIP town
because most important financial, commercial institutions and government offices are located in the
area. It is distinct from other towns because of its historical buildings, which include the official
residences of the governor and chief minister, the Sindh Assembly, City Court, Sessions Court, and
High Court, the Supreme Court’s Registry and the Quaide Azam’s Residence. The city’s main markets
and head offices of various banks are located in this Town, besides several diplomatic missions.
With an estimated population of 616,000 (1998 Census, current estimates: 0.9 to 1.0 million) largely
consisting of old city areas and new areas like Clifton and Kehkashan, the town comprises 11 Union
Councils. The town is largely populated by trading communities such as Memons, Marwaris, Ghanchis
and Gujratis besides Balochis, Sindhis and Lasis and it has also significant number of people who
migrated from India.
The macroenvironment of the project area comprises a major residential area that is home to the
elites of the country as well as foreign missions besides those looking for a better quality of life. It
provides safety and security and hence has attracted a large number of persons, trading centres,
public sector organizations, port and defence establishments. Accordingly it comprises an elitist
residential area, as well as one that caters to office needs and tourism.
The population in and around the Project site can be broadly placed in three categories: the elites, the
managers in the higher hierarchy of decision making, and the people in the upper middle class. There
does exist a category of persons that provides services as employees of the residents. Majority being
literate and highly educated, the people are either decision makers or next in command in their
organization or are well placed in the society.
4 . 7 . 1 E d u c a t i o n
Educational facilities in the surrounding area of the Project are excellent. Availability and access to all
levels of education is well provided because of efficient and effective management system to facilitate
and promote higher education. Literacy rate among females is comparable with males.Training in
technical skills is equally adequate. Skilled labor consisting of drivers, mechanics, water pump
attendants which are estimated to be less than 10 percent of the total population in the Project area,
is provided by UCs in the surrounding Towns.
4 . 7 . 2 Wa t e r S u p p l y
Clean and safe water is one of the major problems being faced by the residents of Project area. Water
is supplied to the Clifton area by Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KW&SB) through dedicated water
pipelines.
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4 . 7 . 3 S u r f a c e D r a i n a g e a n d S e w e r a g e S y s t e m
Sewerage and drainage systems in the Clifton area were 55-years old, and they had no provision for
storm water drainage. The design capacities of the system, if provided at all were much lower than
what was required. Keeping the demand analysis in view, the old sewerage system has been replaced
by the new one which is now working effectively. Similarly, the old drainage system has been
improved by City District Government Karachi (CDGK). Pre-cast storm water drains have been laid in
the area which has established a new drainage network in Clifton and Bath Island area. The drains are
on both sides from Clifton Bridge to Nehar-e-Khayam which was channel of the creek that starts from
somewhere around Hill Park. Most of the Storm water drains are being used as sewers along the
project site at Clifton Beach. It is because of this indiscriminate discharge of waste and wastewater
that certain areas of Clifton and Clifton Beach are heavily polluted.
Figure 4.36: Domestic Sewage being discharged from the storm drains to Clifton Beach.
4 . 7 . 4 E l e c t r i c i t y S u p p l y
Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), now K-Energy, is authorised to supply electricity to all
parts of Karachi City District. However, the present demand for electricity in Karachi is approximately
2,228 megawatts, while there is a shortfall of 600 to 800 MW.
4 . 7 . 5 C o m m e r c i a l a n d R e s i d e n t i a l B u i l d i n g s
All the commercial and residential buildings come under the jurisdiction of CDGK which is working
together with Defence Officer Housing Authority, Karachi. The high land value makes it unaffordable
for the middle class to inhabit this area. That is why Clifton is not highly populated. By-laws are being
strictly enforced by SBCA to follow the design of housing structures.
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4 . 7 . 6 H e a l t h
Health problems of the Project area are generally associated with lifestyle. As such lifestyle diseases
like hypertension, heart attack, diabetes, liver disease and depression, and cancer are commonly
reported in Clifton area. Health facilities are quite adequate and of high standard. Ziauddin University
of Health Sciences has the state of the art facilities for treatment of many of the above ailments.
4 . 7 . 7 E m p l o y me n t
The Clifton area is a major employer of service providers. It offers opportunities for employment
primarily to unskilled labour, skilled labour as well as to the high level manpower.
4 . 7 . 8 L a n d s c a p i n g
The terrestrial and marine environment around the Project area consists of excellent recreation
facilities. The Project site is located adjacent to Sea view and the Baghe Ibne Qasim, both of which are
recreational spots.
4 . 7 . 9 S h r i n e s , Te m p l e s & H e r i t a g e
The Shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi, a famous Sufi Saint is situated in the microenvironment of
project area. The shrine is on top of the hill while the grave is at a lower level while a spring is at a still
lower level.
The Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple is located at a lower section of the same ridge on which the shrine
of Abdullah Shah Ghazi is located. The Temple is located inside a cave which was formed by wave
action, signs of which can be seen on the roof of the cave. The cave houses a perennial spring whose
water is brackish but is revered just the same.
Jehangir Kothari Parade, built by Mr Jahangir Hormusji Kothari in 1919, is a promenade situated in
the same area as the Shrine and the Temple. There are two structures: The Promenade Pavilion, and
The Pier of the complex which is named after Lady Lloyd, Governor of Bombay Sir George Lloyd's
wife.
In June 2005, City District Government Karachi (CDGK) renovated the promenade pier and pavilion by
removing the old and decrepit children's 'PlayLand'.
The Mohatta Palace is located on Hatim Alvi Road. It was built by Shivratan Chandraratan Mohatta, a
Hindu businessman from Marwar as his summer home in 1927. Mohatta built the Palace in the
tradition of stone palaces in Rajasthan, using pink Jodhpur stone in combination with the local yellow
stone from Gizri.
4 . 7 . 1 0 A r c h a e o l o g i c a l S i t e s
No known archaeological site is present within or around the Project area.
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4 . 7 . 11 E c o n o my
Economy of the microenvironment and macroenvironment of Project area contributes substantially to
the economy of Karachi. The two Towns just mentioned virtually form the financial capital of Pakistan.
While Karachi City accounts for the lion's share of Pakistan's GDP and generates 65 percent of the
national revenues, these two Towns contribute 65 percent of Karachi’s revenue. Most of the public
and private banks have their head offices in these two Towns, with most of them converging on I.I.
Chundrigar Road. Besides banking and the financial sector, they also host central offices of foreign
Multinational Corporations as well as corporations based in Pakistan. They are home to the largest
stock exchange of Pakistan: the Karachi Stock Exchange. Karachi Stock Exchange achieved the
milestone of the best performing stock market of the world in early 2005. This financial boom helped
Pakistan to achieve its ambitious goal of over 8 percent GDP growth which is the highest in Asia after
China during fiscal year 2004-05.
The recent trend of ICT (Information and Communications Technology), Electronic Media, and Call
Centres have become significant part of Karachi business hierarchy and these two Towns contribute
substantially to this trend.
Currently, the Karachi Port is one of the two ports in Pakistan that is central to all shipping in Pakistan.
For years Karachi and its port and airport served as the gateway to Asia and significant route to
Middle East, Central Asia, and China.
4 . 7 . 1 2 S h o p p i n g C e n t re s
The commercial areas of Saddar Town continue as the large and small shopping centres of Karachi.
Shopping centres are, however, scattered all over the city but Tariq Road, Zamzama and Elphinstone
Street are the most famous shopping areas in the city. Saddar area is home to countless large and
small markets dealing from everyday household items to clothing, fabrics and electronics. The
Empress Market is a large Victorian era market, which along with the markets in the Old Markets is
home to wholesale trade in grains, spices and other items. Saddar Town thus attracts thousands of
shoppers to its markets.
Karachi also has a number of large modern malls, of which the Park Towers, The Forum, Millenium
Mall and Dolmen Mall are notable in the respective Towns. More large and modern malls are
currently under construction and completion which include the Atrium Mall, Jumeira Mall and the
Dolmen City Mall.
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Sect ion 05: Stakeholder Consul tat ion
Stakeholder consultation is an EIA tool to involve all primary & secondary stakeholders in the
decision-making process. It is held to address stakeholders concerns, improve the project design
according to the general need of the beneficiaries of the project, and to give the project legitimacy
that is due. Stakeholder consultation, if conducted in a participatory and objective manner, is a means
of enhancing project sustainability.
It is best to initiate the stakeholder consultation process at an early stage in a project cycle. This
ensures that feedback from communities and other stakeholders directly or indirectly affected by the
project can be used to adjust and improve the project’s design, planning, and implementation, and
help structure/restructure the project to be both environmentally, socially and economically
sustainable.
Community input (both of knowledge and values) on socioeconomic and environmental issues can
greatly enhance the quality of decision-making. Stakeholder consultation was therefore conducted in
the project area not only to satisfy the legal requirements of the EIA process in the region but also to
improve and enhance the social and environmental design of the project.
5 .1 Ob je c t i v es o f S ta ke h o ld e r s Co n s u l ta t i o n
Generally the objectives of public consultation process are as follows:
To inform primary as well as secondary stakeholders about Project activities
To gather feedback from primary and secondary stakeholders on Project activities
To identify relevant potential environmental issues, including the socioeconomic impact of the
Project, and corresponding mitigation measures.
5 .2 I d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f S ta keh o l d er s
Stakeholders are people, groups, or institutions that may be affected by, can significantly influence, or
are important to the achievement of the stated purpose of a proposed intervention. Primary and
secondary stakeholders are to be identified based on definitions provided in the ADB’s Handbook on
Poverty and Social Analysis:
Primary Stakeholders: People, groups or institutions affected positively (beneficiaries) or
negatively (e.g., temporary dislocation or loss of business/livelihood) by the project
Secondary Stakeholders: People, groups, or institutions that are important intermediaries in the
project delivery process (e.g., government line agencies, or NGOs)
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5 .3 Co ns u l ta t i o n Pro ce s s
Meetings have been held for the Scoping process of EIA study. The objectives of these meetings were
to share information with the stakeholders on:
Strategic importance of removing the constraints to smooth flow of traffic on Shahrahe Firdausi
between Park Tower Intersection and A.T. Naqvi roundabout;
Investigations on significant environmental impacts on the surrounding and how these can be
minimized;
Assessment of the level of awareness on the project; and
Determination of cumulative impact of the project on the current commercial & transportation
activity besides evaluation of impacts of future development plans in the project area
Scoping meetings were conducted by the KMC with different levels of stakeholders including officials
of the KWSB, KESC, Security services and different departments of KMC including the land,
horticulture, and transport, besides Road Engineers, and Environment experts. KMC had, in its
meetings with the stakeholders assured them that there would be no hindrance to completion of the
project on KMC’s behalf. EIA consultants have had meetings with such stakeholders who have assets
or stakes at the CoI and RoW.
More pertinent to this section of the EIA Report is the Scoping Meetings in the form of Focus Group
Discussions (FGDs) and a Stakeholder Consultation Meeting held on May 20, 2014. The following is a
brief description of the proceedings of consultation meetings held in response to: i) the conditions
laid down in the approval of IEE, ii) observations in letter of approval that an Environmental Audit
report should be submitted as soon as possible, and iii) directives from the Honorable Sindh High
Court to the effect that the construction should be stopped and a detailed EIA should be conducted.
5 .4 Proc e e d i ng s o f C on s u l ta t io n M e e t i ngs
A series of meetings were held with stakeholders including the residents, business operators and
officials of the institutions in the Corridor of Impact (CoI). They were briefed about the project and
their views were recorded in respect of i) their awareness about the project, ii) need of the project, iii)
their concerns, if any on the procedures followed and, iv) observations on the current status of the
project.
5 . 4 . 1 O b s e r v a t i o n s / v i e w s e x p re s s e d b y t h e re s i d e n t s
It was the general opinion of the residents that they were not taken into confidence with regard
to the project and the protocol to be adopted for the commencement and completion of the
project.
It may have helped the decision makers if the citizens had been taken on board with regard to
alternatives because in the present circumstances it appears that the project is meant to alleviate
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the traffic issues that are likely to come-up with the establishment of a number of residential and
commercial ventures.
Provisions of the environmental laws have not been complied with in respect of start of the
project; air/dust and noise emissions emanating from 24/7 construction activity without provision
for controlling at source; and safety, security & sanctity which are all at risk.
The need of the project is justified but this should have been realized much before the grant of
approval for densification of the area as “High Rise Zone”. The brunt of the burden on the
infrastructure is now being borne by the residents of the area. The traffic issue has remain
unresolved and the high risers have created un-due congestion particularly on 26th Street.
The project may appease the stakeholder who is financing the project but this will be in total
isolation. The demand is for integration of the proposed solution in the total perspective of
Clifton and DHA.
The institutional officials and other stakeholders were assured by the KMC of timely completion
of the project. To the contrary however, the project has been stopped and legal proceedings are
underway. This does not suggest of its early completion. The traffic has been detoured creating
problems for the commuters, school going children and the sick.
Considerable space has been excavated and thus exposed large area to the vagaries of inclement
weather and the monsoon.
Construction of flyovers and underpasses in other areas of Karachi provided an ad-hoc solution;
the traffic congestion has only been transferred a few kilometers ahead. Decongestion may be
possible by increasing the capacity of roads or by reducing the number of vehicles operating on
the road. That however needs a dedicated traffic management plan, and its honest
implementation which is nowhere in sight.
Concerns were raised on the sanctity of the places of religious importance/worship and the
heritage/protected monuments. The excavations have restrained easy access to these places. No
regard seems to have been taken of the devotees who throng such places in thousands on
religious occasions, e.g. each Thursday at the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Shiv Ratri or
Basant Panchmi melas. It may be most appropriate to offset these places by several metres and
create a wide enough buffer zone to protect the structures from damage and comfortable access
to the devotees.
5 . 4 . 2 O b s e r v a t i o n s / v i e w s e x p re s s e d b y b u s i n e s s o p e r a t o r s
The business community was very upset from the very start of excavations. The process has
restrained the access of customers to the market place and thus has reduced the business activity
to the bare minimum; almost 70% customers have stopped coming to the area and there is
serious loss of business to most of the shop owners. There are restaurants operators who
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complained that the daily loss of customers has forced them to temporarily shift to another
avenue.
Some shop owners were of the view that if the construction work remains stopped they will be
forced to shift to another place permanently because the rent that is being paid by them for
occupation of the shop is much more than the income that they are getting with substantially
reduced business.
The grocery shops and the vegetable shop owners were apprehensive of total loss of business
due to construction of the flyover which would bypass them. The loss of business demands
consideration of adequate compensation for temporary and permanent loss of business.
Shop owners in Park Towers were also of the view that they were taken completely unaware of
the project. All of a sudden the roads were blocked and excavations were started and in no time
large ditches were excavated at places where roadways were constructed at great expense. The
mandatory alternatives with regard to access roads and provision of infrastructure facilities for the
alternatives were not provided. Many of them were of the view that their sales dropped and they
were on the street.
C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g s i n P r o j e c t A r e a
New Mid East Medical Snow White
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C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g s i n P r o j e c t A r e a
Ghazi Super Store GAP
Landmark Consultant Cambridge at Park Tower
Gold Mark Jeweler at Park Tower English Boot House Park Tower
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C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g s i n P r o j e c t A r e a
Digital Library, Park tower Sentiments, Park tower
Nike, Park tower Liberty Books, Park tower
Bumble & Bumble, Park tower Adidas, Park tower
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C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g s i n P r o j e c t A r e a
Chen One, Park tower Auto driver
A local transporter sharing their views A pan shop at affected road
Resident of A.T Naqvi Road Flat resident of A.T Naqvi Road
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C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g s i n P r o j e c t A r e a
Resident of A.T Naqvi Road Resident of A.T Naqvi Road
Vendor at shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi Resident of A.T Naqvi Road
Vendor at shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi Vendor at shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi
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C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g s i n P r o j e c t A r e a
Vendor at shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi Auto(6-Seater) diver
A Shopkeeper Vendor at shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi
A Shopkeeper A local traveler from proposed road
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C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g s i n P r o j e c t A r e a
Chipa Help Centre at proposed road A traveler from proposed road
A Vendor sharing their concerns A taxi driver sharing their views
Vendor A.T Naqvi roundabout Auto driver at A.T Naqvi roundabout
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C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g s i n P r o j e c t A r e a
Vendor at A.T Naqvi roundabout Vendor near the shrine
5 . 4 . 3 O b s e r v a t i o n s / v i e w s e x p re s s e d b y R a t n e s h w a r
M a h a d e v M a n d i r M a n a g e m e n t
Mr. Raj Kumar took the EMC team around to visit the cave and the spring. There were signs of dust
falling from the roof and some plaster from the roof having fallen on the floor. To a question whether
there was any decrease in the yield of water from the spring, Mr. Raj Kumar replied in firm negative
and said that so far we have not observed any reduction. To another question as to whether there
was any damage to the structures in the Mandir, Mr. Raj Kumar said that there were minor vibrations
and that is why you will see the plaster having fallen from the roof. He further emphasized that we
have asked the KMC and other officials not to cross the limit set by us at the top of the Mandir and
also to compensate for the damage that may have been done and is likely to be done from the
construction activity. He also wanted to be assured that the safety of the Mandir and security for the
devotees will be taken good care of during construction and emphasized on the need that the
construction work should be completed as soon as possible but much before the onset of the
monsoon.
Consultation Meetings with Temple Management
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5 . 4 . 4 O b s e r v a t i o n s / v i e w s e x p re s s e d b y t h e S t a k e h o l d e r s
The focused group discussion was followed up with a Stakeholders consultation meeting. A large
number of stakeholders including Institutional heads, NGOs and academia were invited; the invitees
responded in good number.
Following is a list of stakeholders who attended the consultation meeting:
Table 5.1: List of Stakeholders
S. # Name Organization
1 Mr. Muhammad Athar Transport & Communication Dept, KMC
2 Mr. Ashar Lodi Exponent Engineer (Pvt) Ltd
3 Mr. Roland De Souza Shehri-CBE
4 Mr. Noor uddin Ahmed Institute of Engineers
5 Mr. Ahsan Sui Southern Gas Company
6 Mr. Azim Khan Sui Southern Gas Company
7 Mr. Fahim Khan Citizens for Democracy
8 Mr. Mehboob Citizens for Democracy
9 Dr. Asif Inam National Institute of Oceanography
10 Dr. Nuzhat Khan National Institute of Oceanography
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11 Mr. Mirza Anwar Baig Karachi Mass Transit Cell
12 Mr. M. Saeed Karachi Mass Transit Cell
13 Mr. Fazal Karim Karachi Mass Transit Cell
14 Mr. Chowdhry Muhammad Ali Work & Services Department GoS
15 Mr. Mukhtar Ahmed Work & Services Department GoS
16 Mr. Arif Belgaumi Institute of Architects Pakistan
17 Lt/ Col (Retd) Muzaffar Ghous Defence Housing Authority
18 Dr. Shahid Amjad Institute of Business Management
19 Mr. Syed Salim DMC Sindh
20 Ms. Amber Ali Bhai Shehri-CBE
21 Mr. M. Sajid Usmani Bahria Town
22 Mr. Masood Alam KMC
23 Mr. S. M. Tayyab EA Consulting (Pvt) Ltd
24 Mr. Hasan Javed School of Britannia
25 Mr. Shakil Shehri-CBE
The proceedings started with recitation from the Glorious Quran. This was followed by a presentation
by Mr. Syed Nadeem Arif, Project Manager, EMC.
This was followed by a presentation on the Project by Engr. S.M. Tayyeb, from E.A. Consulting.
The question answer session started immediately thereafter.
Mr. Arif Belgaumi & Mrs. Amber Ali Bhai: 1) provision of access to pedestrians, in particular the
devotees of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, 2) Parking area and provision of walkway to Jehangir Kothari
monument, 3) Provision of parking space for buses bringing devotees to the shrine/temple/
monument, 4) Bus stop for public transport/commercial vehicles operating enroute to and from
Keamari and Sea View. 5) Provision for walkway from Park Towers, 6) Inclusion of the Traffic Baseline
Study in the EIA.
Response by S.M. Tayyeb & Ashar Lodi: There is adequate provision for bus bays, bus parking lot and
pedestrian walkways in the Project design. The parking lot within the premises of the shrine is large
enough to accommodate a sizeable number of buses, taxis and cars. The public transport does not
require parking space, but a bus stop where the vehicle could lay by for a while. However, the point is
well taken and let me assure you that all the concerns raised here or even at the construction stage
will not be left unattended.
Fahimuzzaman: Traffic Study should be broad based and look into all alternatives available or
otherwise.
Response by Ashar Lodi & Nadeem Arif: All alternatives in different scenarios had to be examined
because of the emergence of the need for assessment of aspects arising out of operation of heavy
traffic on all routes owing to declaration of the area as High Rise Zone and the congestion that has
been caused. This has been duly reflected in the Report. The Study has been prepared by qualified
firms, registered with Pakistan Engineering Council.
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Response by Athar Sr. Director Transport Department KMC: Improvement by Grade Separation was
the major recommendation of the Study carried out for the Clifton Area. Bahria Icon Project was
approved by the High Density Development Board, which has legal entity. The Board had given
approval for the Project and mandated the Proponent to develop a Traffic Management Plan in
consultation with Traffic Engineering Department and SBCA. Bahria Icon responded to the conditions
laid in the approval and initiated the traffic management study for the entire Clifton area. The study
identified the need for a number of other projects that included the grade separated traffic
improvement plan between Park Tower and A.T. Naqvi roundabout. The traffic study was reviewed by
KMC and while acting according to recommendations of the Plan, initiated to work on the traffic
improvement by grade separation, with finances being provided by Bahria Icon.
Amber Ali Bhai: The number of high risers has increased after decision of the Board to densify the
major arterials and there seems no end to this spree. This has already created a situation in which the
infrastructure is overburdened. We would like to know to how many other high risers have been
allowed for the area and how many flyovers/underpasses are likely to come up. A comprehensive
study should be carried out by KMC so that we know as to what will be the cumulative impact on
environment.
Roland Desouza: The corridor of impact includes the part of Jahangir Kothari Parade that has been
encroached by the excavations that were undertaken for the construction of the underpass. This is a
criminal offense because the Parade is a heritage site that is protected under the Law.
Arif Bilgaumi & Roland Desouza: Since Bahria Icon has been granted approval for construction of
about 60 storeys in the High Rise Zone, others are likely to follow suit. For e.g. Park Towers may also
initiate addition of 30 more storeys that would generate additional burden on the infrastructure.
Giving the example of a famous case “Noman Castello” in which Sindh EPA had taken a stand that a
solitary example of one building cannot be taken as a precedence for densification. KMC must
undertake a study to quantify the cumulative impact of the construction of high risers and
densification of the high Rise Zone.
Noor Uddin Ahmed & Fahimuzzaman: The EIA should be impartial and should reflect the
observations and reservations of the stakeholders.
Response by Mirza Arshad Ali Beg & Nadeem Arif: EMC is a professional consulting company
registered with Pakistan Engineering Council and has a track record of conducting EIAs for
development projects. While conducting the EIA, EMC is always impartial. Mirza Arshad Ali Beg
explained about the credibility of the EIA system. He said that a good environmental assessment is
one in which all the positive and negative aspects are spelled out and the mitigation measures
proposed to alleviate the impact of negative aspects. So far as partiality and impartiality is concerned,
the Noman Castello case is the best example. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the EIA
contents and the procedure adopted and if partiality had its way the NOC should have been granted
but the project was politicized which intervention is unfortunate.
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Arif Bilgaumi and Amber Ali Bhai: The project has taken a portion of the Bin Qasim Park for its
conversion into a parking lot. This is likely to set a precedence for taking other amenity plots to
promote densification by acquisition of area in green belt. The justification for acquisition of green
land must be included in the environmental impact assessment study. The management of shrine of
Abdullah Shah Ghazi and the Temple should also be taken on board.
Lt. Col (Retd) Muzaffar Ghous, DHA: DHA has received a copy of the Traffic Study conducted by KMC
for the Clifton area. We are at the reviewing stage and will respond to KMC in writing.
Mr. Azim Khan, SSGC: SSGC hopes that there will be close cooperation and coordination between the
two institutions.
Dr. Shahid Amjad, IoBM: Environment and Development should go hand in hand. Every development
is possible if we follow the rules in their true spirit.
Fahimuzzaman & Roland Desouza: The construction activity at the project site seems to have spelled
on the structures of heritage sites which should be taken into account in the EIA. Additionally the
impact of construction activity on the spring at Mandir should also be looked into. The guidelines for
sensitive and critical areas should also be referred.
Mr. Fazal Karim, KMTC: KMTC has prepared an integrated Traffic Master plan for Karachi which
includes the 03 BRT Corridors. The studies have been completed with the assistance of JICA & ADB.
The projects are likely to be financed by the two agencies and hopefully Karachi will have an
integrated BRT services by 2025.
P h o t o g r a p h s o f S t a k e h o l d e r C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g
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P h o t o g r a p h s o f S t a k e h o l d e r C o n s u l t a t i o n M e e t i n g
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Section 06: Screening of Potential Environmental
Impacts & Mitigation Measures
Presented in this chapter are the screening of potential environmental, social and economic impacts
and assessment of their severity based on stakeholder perceptions about the project which was
obtained at the inception of the EIA process together with the baseline data detailed in chapter 4.
Screening process is an integral part of the environmental assessment process. The assessment has
been carried out for construction of proposed Project which includes: i) Flyover along 26th
Street/Shahrah-e-Firdausi, ii) Improved traffic management at A.T. Naqvi Chowk under the above
Flyover, iii) Underpasses for entry/exit movements to/from Bahria Town Icon Tower and Clifton
Funland, iv) Interchange between Shahrah-e-Iran and Shahrah-e-Firdausi near Park Towers
Intersection leading to 2-Talwar Intersection, v) Other at-grade improvements for better traffic
management in the entire area, and vi) Provision of a number of grade-separated pedestrian
crossings at important locations, by identifying all significant environmental and social aspects during
the stages from inception of construction and subsequent operation. The report has taken account of
the already constructed portion of the project and has included the audit of whatever has been done
in terms of construction and the impact that the activity may have had on the quality of environment
in the neighborhood.
Environmental aspects identified during the consultation meeting and by the screening process were
assessed for their severity and mitigation measures have been proposed on the basis of assessment.
The screening process has through review of literature, primary as well as secondary baseline data,
and expert judgment made assessment of the potential impacts of said activities on the physical,
biological, and socioeconomic environment of the Project.
Mitigation measures have been proposed to reduce, minimize or compensate for the identified
potential negative impacts and their adoption has been recommended. Continuous environmental
monitoring will be exercised to ensure that preventive measures are in place to sustain environmental
integrity. Proponent shall be liable to submit the project performance reports to EPA Sindh on regular
basis.
6 . 1 S c re e n i n g Proc e s s
The screening process has taken cognizance of i) the persistence of environmental degradation on
said intersections resulting from the decision to convert the area into a ‘High-Rise-Zone’ without
conducting Strategic Environmental & Social Assessment (SESA) which is a mandatory requirement
under Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014, ii) rapid development that does not go hand in
hand with sustainability principles, iii) Proceeding from IEE to Environmental Impact Assessment
following Honorable Sindh High Court Order, iv) Traffic Impact Assessment study conducted by KMC
for the Clifton area, v) Increase in the Complexity of the operation of traffic resulting from high risers
and accomodation of the squatter settlements, and the weak geological structure on which the shrine
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of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Mahadev Mandir and Jahangir Kothari Parade are located, vi) the residual
impact after construction and during operation of the traffic on the roads to see if the project has
achieved its objectives, and vii) Guidelines for classification of polluted and unpolluted sites with
respect to their airshed, watershed, soil, sensitivity of ecosystem including fauna, flora, wildlife, aquatic
life, historical, cultural & archaeological sites and their values have been reviewed.
Accordingly this chapter has suggested mitigation measures that may have to be adopted in order to
reduce,minimize or compensate for the impact during construction and after construction i.e.
commissioning of the project.
6 . 1 . 1 A l t e r n a t i v e s
1 . T h e B a s e C a s e : “ D o N o t h i n g ”
Alternatives related to expansion of capacity of old roads which need to be considered for
transportation planning in terms of environmental sustainability include improvement in traffic
management, and provision of public transportation on existing roads. Public transportation and
traffic management are related to policies on sustainable development and operation of the
transport system and their implementation.
According to the principles of sustainability, socially equitable and economically viable development
would be in balance with the ecosystem in situations where the three components of sustainability
viz. economic, social and environment are interdependent. It will be contrary to the principles of
sustainability as it is chaotic and unbalanced with respect to one or the other component from
among the economic, social and environment tends to be viewed as separate, unrelated parts of the
ecosystem. Once misbalanced it creates community problems including those related to transport
management; it is then that they are viewed as isolated issues. This is where the transport problem of
Karachi lies. Transport management has remained unresolved and this status is being resolved by ad-
hoc planning and miscued development as against sustainable development.
Development activities focusing mainly on economic development have brought limited amount of
social or community development and have had no regard for environmental sustainability. Likewise
the focus on social development has brought only peripheral sustainability of the economy and
environment. The extent of development has in each case, including the transport system, been
distanced from being sustainable. Accordingly the systems have not been managed by good
governance practices.
Lack of good governance and political will has been highlighted as a major issue during the
consultation meetings with the concerned stakeholders who were of the opinion that it was due to
lack of good governance practices and political incoherence that an affordable and convenient
transport system has not been evolved; removal of encroachments and obstructions remain
unattended, and enforcement of traffic discipline remains a far cry.
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There have been half-hearted and piece-meal attempts at best, to address the economic, social and
environmental problems being faced by the Karachites. Making Karachi roads signal free through
grade separation is one such ad-hoc solution that does not address the sustainability principles.
For the current case the Do Nothing option assumes that there is no alteration in the built
environment. It ignores the fact that there is no masterplan for accommodation of the growing
volume of vehicular traffic in the area that has been declared a “High Rise Zone”. Contrarily the area
has since become of strategic importance and a masterplan is needed to account for the centripetal
force that is prompting the builders and developers to cash the opportunity so created. Clifton is
centre of attraction for the elites who in their spree to enjoy their richness care little about
environmental degradation
The do-nothing alternative refers to present traffic management system without making any changes
or improvement. In its present condition, the traffic management system is based on continuing to
follow at-grade intersections operated during peak hours with the help of traffic police at:
1. Roundabout at Park Towers Intersection
2. A.T. Naqvi Chowk
3. Dolmen City Roundabout
Traffic congestion is observed at these intersections during peak hours and unnecessary delays are
suffered by daily commuters. The current situation is that the built environment on Shahrahe Firdausi
and the adjoining roads has completely changed. The volume of traffic has become excessively large
and that calls for immediate solution. The ‘Do Nothing’ alternative is therefore ruled out.
2 . Tr a f f i c M a n a g e m e n t b y G r a d e S e p a r a t i o n
Deficiencies in the public transport services together with the enormous increase in private vehicle
ownerships during the period of rapid rate of GDP growth adopted for the country from 2005 to
2008 has had adverse impact on the not too worthy roads for increased volume of traffic. The
problem has been aggravated ever since while the road transportation problem remained
unresolved. The road capacity has been far exceeded by the volume of traffic on roads. The defunct
CDGK constructed flyovers, underpasses and widened several roads to make some of the main
corridors signal free. The problems with regard to traffic jam, and inconvenience caused to
commuters was reduced but only for a short period. The environmental health problems due to
emissions from vehicles operating on fossil fuel have remained unresolved and continued since the
number of vehicles operating on the corridors and discharging the emissions has persisted to remain
beyond their capacity.
The main objective of this project is i) to provide a solution for improvement of traffic by grade
separation for decongestion of roads and provide linkages through flyovers and underpasses
wherever necessary and ii) to decongest the traffic taking due consideration of the centripetal forces
that are likely to be dominant in the foreseeable future.
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There are numerous existing commercial centres such as Park Towers, Dolmen City, Bar B’Que
Tonight, and other up-coming residential cum commercial ventures including 62 storey Bahria Icon
and Riviera 70 in its close proximity in addition to the waterfront in the South and the historical
monument of Jahangir Kothari Parade, Bagh Ibne Qasim on the West. Also located along this
strategic corridor is the Shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir
which attract a large number of visitors daily. Additionally there are some prominent educational and
healthcare institutions in its vicinity. Such a large number of commercial centres and institutions has
made the area a large trip generator. As a result severe traffic congestion and excessive delays are
observed during the peak hours. With the traffic volumes exceeding the capacity of the at-grade
intersections at Park Towers and A.T Naqvi Chowk, the traffic management system has remained
under pressure.
In realization of the deterioration in traffic conditions its improvement was sought by adoption of
recommendations of a grade-separated traffic management plan conceived to provide additional
capacity to the roads for safer and more efficient traffic movements in the area served by Shahrah-e-
Firdousi which has now assumed strategic importance after declaration of the area a High Rise Zone.
The following alternatives were considered for improved traffic management along Shahrah-e-
Firdousi and its adjoining area:
Alternative-1: A system of Underpass and Flyover for Right Turns at Park Towers Intersection
This scheme comprises an underpass for right turns from Shahrah-e-Firdousi to Shahrah-e-Iran for
traffic moving towards Two-swords (Do-Talwar) Intersection and a flyover for right turns from
Shahrah-e-Iran to Shahrah-e-Firdousi for traffic moving towards Bilawal House Intersection. The
straight movements along Shahrah-e-Firdousi would be at-grade in this scheme.
Alternative-2: Underpass across Shahrah-e-Firdousi with loop ramps for right turns to/from Shahrah-
e-Iran
Under this scheme an underpass was conceived across Shahrah-e-Firdousi with loop ramps through
the Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim for right turns to / from Shahrah-e-Iran for traffic movements towards Two-
swords (Do-Talwar) Intersection and towards Bilawal House Intersection. The straight movements
along Shahrah-e-Firdousi would be at-grade in this scheme also.
Alternative-3: Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan along Sharah-e-Firdousi
Main features of the grade separated traffic improvement plan are the following grade-separated
structures and at-grade improvements:
Flyover along 26th Street/Shahrah-e-Firdausi providing for uninterrupted traffic movements along
Shahrah-e-Firdausi from DHA/Khayaban-e-Ittehad side towards A.T. Naqvi Chowk (Intersecton)
and onwards to Bin Qasim Park along with a direct access to the Bahria Town Icon Tower by
means of an exclusive down ramp.
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Improved traffic management at A.T. Naqvi Chowk under the above Flyover.
Underpasses for entry / exit movements to/from Bahria Town Icon Tower and Clifton Funland
without any interruption to the through movements on main Shahrah-e-Firdausi.
Interchange for uninterrupted traffic movements between Shahrah-e-Iran and Shahrah-e-Firdausi
near Park Towers Intersection leading to 2-Talwar Intersection.
Other at-grade improvements for better traffic management in the entire area.
Provision of a number of grade-separated pedestrian crossings at important locations.
3 . C o m p a r i s o n o f A l t e r n a t i v e s o f S c h e m e
The following Table provides a summary of comparison of the relative merits and demerits of the
above four conceptual schemes for better traffic management along Shahrahe-Firdousi and its
environs:
Alternative-1: Do-Nothing Alternative
Merits Demerits
No real merit except that there is no visual intrusion
and no rerouting of existing traffic and no
environmental effects of construction activities.
Funds need not be mobilized
Traditional Approaches remain undisturbed
Increased traffic congestion.
Unnecessary travel delay.
Higher levels of environmental pollution including
vehicular exhausts and traffic noise levels.
Excessive costs of improvements in future.
More disruption to traffic in future.
Alternative-2: A system of Underpass and Flyover for Right Turns at Park Towers Intersection
Merits Demerits
Easier right turns to/from Sharah-e-Firdousi to
Shahrah-e-Iran.
Longer flyover due to difference in levels of
Shahrah-e-Firdousi and Shahrah-e-Iran.
Conflict free through / straight movements along
Shahrah-e-Firdousi.
Deep excavation in close proximity of the
underground cave of the Temple unavoidable.
No land acquisition at Bagh Ibn-e-Qasim. Higher cost due to longer flyover for right turn.
Alternative-3: Underpass across Shahrah-e-Firdousi with loop ramps for right turns to/from Shahrah-e-
Iran
Merits Demerits
Easier right turns to/from Sharah-e-Firdousi to
Shahrah-e-Iran.
Land acquisition at Bagh Ibne Qasim
Conflict free through / straight movements along
Shahrah-e-Firdousi.
Transfer of Traffic Congestion to successive corridor
Conflict with sensitive sites
Alternative-4: Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan along Sharah-e-Firdousi
Merits Demerits
Flyover along 26th Street / Shahrah-e-Firdausi
providing for uninterrupted traffic movements
along Shahrah-e-Firdausi from DHA / Khayaban-e-
Ittehad side towards A.T. Naqvi Chowk (Intersecton)
and onwards to Bin Qasim Park along with a direct
access to the Bahria Town Icon Tower by means of
Land acquisition at Bagh Ibne Qasim
Deep excavation in close proximity of the cave of
the Temple not avoided.
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an exclusive down ramp.
Taking the merits and demerits into consideration, Alternative-4 will be the preferred alternative if the
negative impacts are mitigated by taking appropriate measures.
6 . 2 C h e c k l i s t f or S c re e n i n g o f L i ke l y I mp a c ts
The following Checklist was used for the screening of potential environmental impact on different
components of ecosystem at siting, pre-construction, construction & operation stages of the Project:
Table 6.1: Checklist for Screening Impact
Screening Questions Yes No Remarks
Project Siting
Is The Project Area…?
Densely Populated? X Residential area is considerably offset from CoI
but the policy to density the area around CoI is
likely to increase the density of population.
Heavy With Development Activities? X Builders and Developers have rushed to cash
the opportunity created by declaration of area
as High Rise Zone.
Adjacent to or Within Any Environmentally
Sensitive Areas?
X Weak geological structures of the sensitive
areas including Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi,
Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir and Jahangir
Kothari are within the CoI
Cultural Heritage Site X Cultural heritages are within CoI
Protected Area X
Wetland X
Mangrove Not applicable
Estuarine Not applicable
Buffer Zone Of Protected Area X
Special Area For Protecting Biodiversity X
Bay Not applicable
Potential Environmental Impacts
Will The Project Cause…
Impacts on the sustainability of associated
sanitation and solid waste disposal systems
and their interactions with other urban
services.
X Not envisaged but monitoring mechanism will
be in place to ensure minimum impact
Deterioration of environmental conditions
of the surrounding of project site.
X Environmental Conditions may likely
deteriorate during the construction stage
unless due mitigation measures are
implemented.
Degradation of land and ecosystems (e.g.
loss of wetlands and wild lands, coastal
zones, watersheds and forests)?
X Not envisaged
Dislocation or involuntary resettlement of X Not envisaged
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people
Voluntary resettlement X Not envisaged
Degradation of cultural property, and loss
of cultural heritage and tourism revenues?
X Not envisaged. Protective measures need to be
firmed up nevertheless.
Occupation of low-lying lands, floodplains
and steep hillsides by squatters and low-
income groups, and their exposure to
increased health hazards and risks due to
polluting industries?
X Not envisaged
Water resource problems (e.g.
depletion/degradation of available water
supply, deterioration for surface and
ground water quality, and pollution of
receiving waters?
X Requirement of water for road construction
and human consumption at site will be of small
order and will be met from the designated
water supply system.
Better management & conservation practices
will be followed nevertheless.
Air pollution due to urban emissions? X Minor
Social conflicts between construction
workers from other areas and local
workers?
X Not expected
Road blocking and temporary flooding due
to land excavation during rainy season?
X Delay in timely completion will create some
such situation
Noise and dust from construction
activities?
X Will be minimized through better management
practices
Traffic disturbances due to transportation
of construction material and wastes?
X There is complete blockade of the construction
site. Construction of access roads and adoption
of traffic management practices need to be
provided
Temporary silt runoff due to construction? X Minor, will be mitigated if some such situation
emerges through better management practices
Hazards to public health due to ambient,
household and occupational pollution,
thermal inversion, and smog formation?
X Not envisaged but will be mitigated if some
such situation emerges through better
management practices and implementation of
Environmental Management Plan
Water depletion and/or degradation?
X Not envisaged, better management practices
and conservation practices will be followed
nevertheless
Overplaying of ground water, leading to
land subsidence, lowered ground water
table, and salinization?
X Not envisaged. Conservation practices will be
followed and excessive use will be avoided
Contamination of surface and ground
waters due to improper waste disposal?
X Solid and Liquid waste Disposal system will be
in place at construction sites to prevent
possible contamination of water resources
Pollution of receiving waters resulting in
amenity losses, fisheries and marine
resource depletion, and health problems?
X Not envisaged
09 18
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The rating shows that the environmental aspects listed above will have significantly adverse impacts
on the microenvironment and macroenvironment of the Corridor of Impact unless mitigation
measures are provided and their performance regularly monitored. Environmental impacts such as
noise, dust, physical inconvenience, and contamination by oils and lubricants during construction will
be minor nature and temporary consequence so as to be easily mitigated. However, seismicity and
morphology together with weak geology of the area has to be seriously considered by the planners
because the area is under stress and is bounded by faults on all sides. The signs of subsidence are
apparent on the coastal area and any further stress is likely to be catastrophic. Environmental
performance monitoring will therefore be an important element of environmental management at
the construction, commissioning and operation stage since that is the only way to prepare for
catstrophy ahead.
6 . 3 S c re e n i n g o f Po te n t ia l En v i ro n me n ta l Imp a c t s a t
D e s ig n i ng S tag e
The potential environmental impacts have been assessed here in the light of guidelines, standards
and best practices for highway design:
A l i g n m e n t D e s i g n : The vertical alignment design should:
i) conform to the required flyover standards to keep, wherever possible, the maximum critical grade
length within the prescribed limits set in AASHTO,
ii) keep the gradient of the proposed flyover to a maximum of 4% with K value of 26 for crest and
30 for sag respectively (except for ramp where the gradient does not exceed a maximum of 6%),
iii) design the horizontal alignment of the up and down ramps to limits set in AASHTO standards
and in accordance with that specified for the Main Line, and
iv) iv) keep the maximum gradient of the ramps within 6%.
Tr a f f i c S i g n a g e s , F u r n i t u r e s a n d P a v e m e n t M a r k i n g s : The guidelines for the
design and application of regulatory, warning, guide signs and road markings will be governed by the
requirements of the National Transport Research Cell (NTRC).
P a v e m e n t D e s i g n : The structural pavement design would be based on the AASHTO Road Test
results, using the multi-layered elastic theory computer program. The mix design and material
requirements would be based on the existing specifications, with modifications to incorporate local
conditions/experience. The thickness design of the pavement will be based on the design CBR
(California Bearing Ratio) of the sub-grade and the total number of 8.16 tonnes standard axle
applications for a specific design period of ten years shall be used.
D r a i n s o n e l e v a t e d p o r t i o n o f f l y o v e r s : The drain type for the elevated portion shall
consist of an open section built into the structural slab within the marginal strip. The outlet shall
consist of down pipes at 35 m intervals, i.e. the spacing of the piers.
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Drains on widened at-grade portion of flyover shall consist of a concrete lined V-shaped section. All
the drainage would be discharged into the existing facilities.
S e i s m i c i t y C o n s i d e r a t i o n s : The project would be sited in the Seismic Zone 2B,
corresponding to Magnitude between 5.0 and 6.5 on Richter Scale and Intensity between VII and IX
on Modified Mercallis Scale. As such the Ground Force in terms of Assumed Approximate
Acceleration equivalent of 0.3 g would be adopted to mitigate the impact due to siting the flyover
and underpasses in hazardous zone where weak geological structure of the ridge on 9 meter contour
exists.
L i q u e f a c t i o n : The impact of liquefaction would be offset by appropriate mitigation measures
by construction of bored reinforced concrete piles to the depth of hard rocks with RQD values greater
than 50%. The piles of the columns of the flyovers would be laid at depth of sandstone, which are
hard and pose minimum risk to threat of liquefaction during major (>7 on Richter Scale) earthquake.
S a f e t y I s s u e s : Management of safety issues will be part of Environmental Management Plan
(EMP) which will be in place to monitor environmental performance, including safety and security,
besides supervision of traffic related matters e.g. traffic diversion plan. Safety management will be the
responsibility of an independent Safety Manager who will be appointed for the project. He will be
independent of project planners, designers and construction companies involved in the project. The
Safety Manager will identify safety deficiencies at different stages in the development of the project,
so that they can be eliminated at the most opportune time to reduce costs and minimize disruption
to design and construction progress. It will be the Safety Manager’s responsibility to critically examine
all aspects of the project which may have adverse safety implications, considering the needs of all
road users including pedestrians carefully.
The Safety Report shall specifically describe the safety deficiencies, potential or real, which have been
identified along with the relevant references to accepted standards, practices and highway safety
principles.
A t - g r a d e I n t e r s e c t i o n / J u n c t i o n : All the existing at-grade intersection/junctions will be
improved with modifications to conform to traffic signalization control.
S t r e e t L i g h t i n g : The whole stretch of the flyovers and interlinks shall be fully lighted up
including all affected stretch of existing at-grade carriageway below the flyovers. The street lighting
system shall be designed to BS EN 13201-2.2003 standards.
P o w e r S u p p l y : The Project shall have its own independent power supply system supplemented
by the substations at intersections.
Tr a f f i c D i v e r s i o n / M a n a g e m e n t d u r i n g C o n s t r u c t i o n : A realistic traffic diversion
plan shall be adopted to ensure minimum inconvenience to road users including pedestrians during
the construction stage. The number of traffic lanes and capacity to absorb the diverted traffic should
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not be reduced just to minimize peak hour congestion. Similarly the existing profile of road, should
not be reduced or raised significantly (> 0.3m) unless an appropriate traffic diversion plan is arranged.
A Safety Manager, with working experience in road construction, shall supervise and maintain all
traffic diversion and safety matters. The traffic diversion plan shall be maintained and kept in good
order at all times (minimum potholes, good road marking, adequate sign boards, traffic barriers /
cones/New Jersey Barriers, blinker light etc.). This will be done to ensure safety and security during
the course of project.
A traffic engineer will, in collaboration with Safety Manager, prepare a traffic diversion plan which can
be satisfactorily implemented on site to comply with local statutory requirements and conditions.
Construction of ramp on either side of the intersection is likely to disturb the business of the shops
during construction since heavy equipment will have to be brought in and construction machinery
and equipment as well as material will have to be transported to the site. Appropriate traffic
management plan will have to be in place so as not to disturb the business. KMC had notified the
following traffic diversion plan much ahead of the commencement of the project:
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Te c h n o l o g y : Technology for construction of flyovers, underpasses and interchanges has been
well grounded in Pakistan, and hence the Project may not need foreign assistance in any respect.
E n v i r o n m e n t a l & S o c i a l A s p e c t s : The CoI at the said intersections are congested.
Implementation of the proposed traffic improvement plan would remove the constraints to smooth
flow of vehicular traffic.
Environmental concerns with regard to air emission, noise and water pollution will considerably
reduced.
Wastewater discharge scenario at the sites of the flyover and underpasses would not be altered
because the sewerage system would not be impacted at any stage.
Gaseous emission from operation of vehicular traffic will be dispersed adequately in contrast with the
current situation at the intersections where the concentration of pollutants builds up with each
interruption by the signals. Thus the siting of project will have a positive effect on the ambient air
quality and noise level at the said intersections.
Noise emissions from the operation of vehicular traffic will continue to have the same level as at
present. Level in microenvironment is expected to be lowered as a result of free flow of the traffic
through the flyover. Although the impact of noise emission would attenuate with distance and shall
be within acceptable limits of the National Environmental Quality Standards, yet mitigation measures
in the form of suitable strreetscaping with acoustic tiles would be in place to minimize the impact to
acceptable levels.
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The estimated dispersion of emissions and discharges suggests that siting of the Project would make
them a friendly component of their macroenvironment.
The estimated emissions and discharges do not suggest any significant impact of siting the flyover
and underpasses on the microenvironment or macroenvironment of Corridor of Impact (CoI).
6 . 4 Po te n t ia l En v i ro n me n ta l Imp a c t s d u e to S i t i n g o f
Pro je c t
The siting of the project in a sensitive area demands careful planning and implementation of special
mitigation measures to secure the sanctity and stability of the structures and associated
infrastructure. The project area is part of the synclinorium which is seismically active and has been
undergoing continuing uplift. The uplift has already resulted in the formation of rocky headlands. The
material brought to the coast was taken over by currents and wind for the formation of wide sandy
beaches, and migrating sand dunes. Seismic activity in the region is the result of the triple junction as
well as the Karachi Arc. Seismic activity in and around the region shows that the Karachi Arc has been
active since long in prompting the eastward movement of the delta. It is possible that the movement
is related to the rebound that takes place after mass shift.
The sensitive structures (Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi, Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir with a spring
each, as well as Jahangir Kothari Parade) are located on the ridge of the 9 meter contour. These
structures have assumed criticality in that the existing slope has been formed as a result of slumping
of the sediment. As such they are under great stress and is being aggravated by anthropohgenic
activities in the surrounding, for e.g. at 14 km long water front in DHA and the scores of high risers
that are coming up. Any heavy construction that may alter the topography and geomorphology of
the area must be mandated to maintain a buffer zone and monitor changes if any. Buffer zones are
mandatory by Law. They need to be maintained all over the critical sites. Accordimgly KMC is
mandated to follow the Law and take the responsibilty of protecting the critical structures by creating
a buffer zone as per the pertinent guidelines.
The living area of the resident population are offset considerably from the CoI of Project. Siting the
road infrastructure and its allied facilities will therefore have no significant impact on the
demographic pattern, and on the social and cultural values of the settled population. The
construction activity at the site will be a constraint to the movenment of the people of the area from
their residence to / through the site. Mitigation measures in form of alternate routes and pedestrian
walkways will have to be ensured. KMC had taken due cognizance of the situation and notified the
diversion plan.
The commercial ventures and shops are also offset from the CoI of Project. In their case also the
business may slow down due to constraints of accessibility. Mitigation measures in form of alternate
routes and pedestrian walkways will have to be ensured. KMC had taken due cognizance of the
situation and notified the diversion plan.
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Acquisition of private land will not be involved since the flyovers will be constructed on the dedicated
right of way (RoW) which is the property of KMC. However, the siting of underpass would require
some land acquisition at Bagh Ibne Qasim. The Proponent has had dialogue with relevant
stakeholders to ensure provision of measures by appropriate designing, suitable landscaping and
providing proper signage wherever required. Similar steps will have to be taken for relocation of
utiliies including water supply, sanitation, electricity, telecommunication and gas pipelines. KMC has
taken all the relevant departments/agencies on board. SSGC has shown their concern in this aspect
and has provided the following map which shows the need for proper relocation of the pipelines in
consultaion with SSGC.
Figure 6.1: Map showing SSGC pipeline network in the area
The vegetation in the median at the CoI comprising a small number of mature and others yet-to-
mature Conocarpus trees have had to be removed while preparing for construction of foundations
and boring deep piles. There will be no replacement of the lost vegetation but the Proponent will
suitably landscape the site with vegetation and thus compensate the losses. The horticulture
department of KMC is on board in removal and replantation of the vegetation removed.
The CoI has no protected areas such as wildlife sanctuaries, game reserves, national park or
archaeological sites. The historical/heritage sites as already mentioned need protection and the
proponent have been duly notified about the issue.
The airshed of the corridor of impact will not be degraded due to: i) optimized operation of the
vehicular traffic resulting from reduced congestion and signal free movement, ii) dispersion of air
pollutants. The air quality of the airshed of the macroenvironment as well as that of the RoW of the
Corridor itself will as such have no significant impact from the location of the Project.
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6 . 5 S c re e n i n g o f Po te n t ia l En v i ro n me n ta l Imp a c t s a t
C o n s tru c t io n S ta ge
The screening of potential environmental impacts has been carried out for the construction stage and
the impact of construction has been evaluated, besides the residual impacts after construction have
been identified. This assessment is based on the environmental audit carried out as per the
conditions laid down in the Environmental Approval whose clause # 5(ii) states: KMC (hereinafter
referred as project proponent) shall conduct a detailed environmental, health and safety audit of the
under constructions portions/sections and will submit the report to EPA within one week from the
date of issuance of this approval.
The following are the findings of environmental audit which inter alia provides the current status of
the project:
1. The construction activity which was started in March after the approval of IEE and stopped
following the High Court Orders has significantly slowed down all businesses and has negatively
impacted the business and commercial activities in the shopping areas. The temporary loss of
business so incurred has resulted in grievances from the concerned business operators. The
stakeholders were not opposed to the Traffic Improvement Plan but they sought immediate
resumption/completion of the project.
2. The shop owners/business operators are particularly concerned about the slow down of business
during the Monsoons and peak season of Ramadan. The apprehensions in this regard were
conveyed to the monitoring team. There is therefore need for implementation of the Traffic
Management Plan that may ensure resumption of business activity. It is recommended that the
KMC must maintain an active liaison with the commercial enterprises.
Consultation with Shop Owners
3. At the outset it may be stated that the ridge on which the Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir, Abdullah
Shah Ghazi Mazar and Jahangir Kothari Parade are located is on the triple point where seismic
activity is continuously producing shocks that are below magnitude IV on Richter scale. The ridge
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falls at the end of the deltaic synclinorium which is under tectonic pressure from the Indian Plate
due to which there is continuous movement at a rate of 4-6 cm/year. The two historical structures
are either on top of the hill or in the cave. As such they are only weakly grounded. Any
subsequent structure introduced in this scenario will have to take such mitigation measures that
can withstand the geological structure and seismic activity. Such being the case the proponent is
following the recommended mitigation measures which include construction of bored reinforced
concrete piles and following the requirements of seismic zone 2B.
4. It was observed that the excavation of land did not take cognizance of having a buffer zone
between the sensitive structures and the Corridor. Since a buffer zone is mandatory by law, there
is need for immediate redressal by reversing the damages done and maintaining the mandatory
buffer zone specified by the Law or finding an alternative design which bypasses the sensitive
structures and monuments leaving sufficient space for their protection.
5. The cumulative impact of construction activity on weak structures has to be taken into
consideration and conservation measures should be provided to strengthen the weak structures
in the neighborhood. Such measures have been recognized for Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar which
is located on top of the hill but has not been extended to the depth of the cave in which
Mahadev Mandir is located. The proponent is committed to adopt conservation measures to
protect all the structures particularly those which are not well grounded for e.g., Mahadev Mandir
which is in the cave.
6. The proponent must give top priority to the recommended conservation measures and formulate
a plan in consultation with the Management of Mahadev Mandir and Jahangir Kothari Parade
(Heritage). What is needed is the consolidation of the weak geological structure of the cave
without disturbing the sanctity and hydrogeology of the microsite.
Visit at Mandir and Jahangir Kothari Parade
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7. Safety issues seem to receive low priority at the construction site as was observed by the
monitoring team. Health, Safety and Environment are major components of the Environmental
Management Plan (EMP) of which monitoring of the environmental performance is an integral
part. The proponent has to ensure strict adherence to the measures and guidelines stated in the
EMP and the contractor must be made to follow the Standard Operating Procedures for
construction activities.
8. It was observed by the monitoring team that the EMP was not being followed in letter and spirit.
When the site was visited by the team of EMC experts, it was noticed that due safety and security
measures were not being followed e.g. the site was not appropriately cordoned off to restrain
people from crossing the road and entering the site; some of the construction crew members
were not wearing PPEs and were not following the safety measures. This point is being raised
here to remind the proponent that funds are invariably provided for PPEs and for Safety
Personnel to ensure implementation of safety procedures. It amounts to temporary
embezzlement of funds if the same are not appropriately utilized.
9. A traffic diversion plan was prepared but not effectively implemented which resulted in
inconvenience to road users during the construction stage. It was also not shared with the
stakeholders in the neighborhood. This was cause for complaints from road users and also the
public in the neighborhood. It was observed that the traffic diversion plan was still not being
followed, for example the information on closure of the access roads and alternate routes were
not shared with the public particularly the concerned citizens. Following measures are therefore
required to be implemented:
Maintain the service roads in good condition to allow smooth traffic movement; provide
necessary personnel to guide and control the traffic;
Provide alternative traffic arrangement/detours so that traffic can be distributed and move on
different roads; and, ensure that public/residents association is informed about such traffic
diversions
Provide information to the public through media – daily news papers and local cable television
(TV) services about the need and schedule of work, and alternative routes
To maintain transparency of the project, public information/caution boards must be provided at
the work site – information shall inter-alia include: project name, cost and schedule; executing
agency and contractor details; nature and schedule of work; traffic diversion details, if any; entry
restriction information; competent official’s name and contact information for public complaints.
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HSE Issues
10. It was observed by the monitoring team that the excavated material from the area designated for
underpass was being dumped into uncovered loaders and transported to disposal sites. No safety
measures were followed by the crew handling the excavated material. As such the crew and the
public in the immediate vicinity was exposed to dust particularly Maximum values of PM2.5 that
was found at 33.8 µg/m3. The team Monitoring the environmental performance of the area
interviewed the public in the immediate environment and found them complaining about the
nuisance of dust emission. Measurements on air quality suggests that all the parameters except
PM2.5 for air quality were within limits suggesting that the emissions from construction were
being adequately dispersed.
Table 6.1: Ambient Air Quality at Project site (28th & 29th March 2014)
S.# Parameters Unit NEQS* Results
Min. Max. Avg.
1 Nitrogen Oxide, NO µg/m3 40 (24 hrs) 2.6 7.8 5.185
2 Nitrogen Dioxide, NO2 µg/m3 80 (24 hrs) 0.1 6.3 1.448
3 Sulphur Dioxide, SO2 µg/m3 120 (24 hrs) 0.2 19.3 9.634
4 Carbon monoxide, CO µg/m3 10 (1 hrs) 0.41 3.7 1.195
5 Ozone, O3 µg/m3 180 (1 hrs) 0 28.2 10.568
6 Particulate Matter, PM2.5 µg/m3 25 (24 hrs) 21.5 33.8 27.2
7 Particulate Matter, PM10 µg/m3 200 (24 hrs) 91.4 145.9 118.7
8 Total Suspended Particulates, TSP µg/m3 550 (24 hrs) - - 387.4
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Table 6.2: Ambient Air Quality at Project site (29th & 30th April 2014)
S.# Parameters Unit NEQS* Results
Min. Max. Avg.
1 Nitrogen Oxide, NO µg/m3 40 (24 hrs) 3.6 9.1 5.498
2 Nitrogen Dioxide, NO2 µg/m3 80 (24 hrs) 0.7 7 3.483
3 Sulphur Dioxide, SO2 µg/m3 120 (24 hrs) 6.1 18.4 10.37
4 Carbon monoxide, CO µg/m3 10 (1 hrs) 0.7 1.9 1.153
5 Ozone, O3 µg/m3 180 (1 hrs) 1.5 18.7 8.517
6 Particulate Matter, PM2.5 µg/m3 25 (24 hrs) 10 30 20.83
7 Particulate Matter, PM10 µg/m3 200 (24 hrs) 70 120 90.20
8 Total Suspended Particulates, TSP µg/m3 550 (24 hrs) - - 221
Air Emissions from Construction Equipment
It is recommended that the measures adopted after identifying the environmental issue should be
strictly followed and supervised and the Project Manager should remain in contact with the
population living in the immediate neighborhood.
In order to maintain liaison with the public the KMC is advised to frame a grievance register and
designate the HSE Officer to register all the complaints on the issues of construction and its impact
on their living conditions.
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The Noise emission was 87 dB (A) at source and was reduced to within 65 dB (A) at the sensitive sites.
The following noise propagation model suggests that noise emission problem is confined to the
microenvironment.
Ambient Air & Noise Monitoring
It is recommended that the level so achieved should be continuously maintained throughout the
project cycle through maintenance of the equipment.
The cumulative effects from equipment, machinery and the vehicular traffic can be significant but the
same will be limited to the microenvironment of the project area which includes weak geological
structures. The contractor shall be mandated to adopt the following mitigation measures:
Sufficient buffer distance may not be available along the corridor between the works and the
scores of receptors and hence adverse impact of construction activities in terms of noise,
vibration, dust and waste disposal is expected to be significant. The contractor will therefore be
mandated to segregate the construction area at the median from the edge of the road. The
segregation should be easily erected and substantial enough to minimize noise impacts.
Background noise levels are likely to be high during nighttime (10 pm to 6 am). Therefore the
performance criteria shall be as follows. During nighttime (10 pm to 6 am) the impact of noise
measured at the residential (sensitive receptor) shall not exceed 3dBA over the background noise
level. The contractor shall also maintain and service all equipment to minimize noise levels.
To minimize impacts the contractors will be mandated by the KMC to:
Ensure NEQS compliance to the effect that all equipments and machinery to be used during
construction are equipped with the necessary air pollution and noise dampening devices to meet
statutory requirements;
Perform regular maintenance and service all equipment to minimize noise levels;
Locate and operate equipment to minimize nuisances; and
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Install acoustic insulation or use portable noise barriers or install a hoarding where practicable to
limit noise at sensitive receivers.
Appropriate PPE such as ear muffs shall be provided for the workforce and their usage enforced
with sound policies and by setting examples.
Effective staff awareness campaign on the implications of non-compliance with PPE policy shall
be enforced. All workers will be required to make proper use of the protection equipment
provided by management and also to observe all rules and regulations pertinent to the use of
equipment designed to minimize noise exposure.
Records of noise-exposure measurement of workers shall be maintained.
Individual worker’s exposure to excessive noise shall therefore be controlled by shift arrangement.
Acoustic enclosures and silencers shall be used for high capacity diesel generators.
Construction and positioning of the proposed road infrastructure is half way complete and additional
land preparation would be needed at designated sites.
There will be considerable agitation among the business community if the Project is not completed
within stipulated time since the temporary dislocation may turn into permanent loss of business. KMC
is also required to contain the impact of activities and conserve the foot print of all resources.
The excavation to create the foundations for the columns could affect local drainage patterns as
rainfall will collect in the voids instead of running onto surrounding land or into storm water drains,
but this impact has been avoided by conducting the work in the dry season. The work should be
conducted at the same time as construction of the ramps so that excavated material is utilized
immediately, avoiding the need to stockpile large quantities of excavated soil, which could create
dust. Any soil that is stockpiled should be damped down during dry weather as noted above.
It is possible that the groundwater may collect in voids created by deep excavations for foundations
and underpasses; this may need dewatering. This silt-laden runoff may accumulate on the ground or
choke the local drains, creating nuisance and unhealthy environment. The contractor will be
mandated to implement the following measures:
Not to divert/dispose silt laden water into drains directly;
If possible, provide temporary ponds in the site for temporary storage; dispose clarified water into
nearest drains;
Ensure that disposal into drains do not lead to water accumulation in the nearby areas.
Creation of ramps will gradually alter the topography and appearance of the site. Drainage of the site
needs to be modified with suitable drains to suit the changed topography to avoid flooding and
accumulation of water. These are included in the project design. One possible impact on drainage is
that existing drains have to be relocated to the edge of the expanded roadway and therefore needs
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to be stopped during the construction work. During this transitional phase, the following measures
shall be implemented to avoid water accumulation due to disruption of drains:
Divert existing drains in the working section (ROW) temporarily; construct a temporary drain if
required;
Complete construction of new drain as soon as possible and restore the flow.
Site preparation activities involves excavation, piling, earth and fill movement, concrete foundations,
transportation of construction machinery, accessories and associated equipment to the site;
placement of columns and aerial span structures. The said activities will not lead to extensive soil
erosion, or alteration of soil quality resulting from removal of top soil at the site. However, this activity
will raise the fugitive dust emission, and will cause small variation in soil quality resulting from
removal of topsoil at the micro-site.
The fugitive dust emissions will be a cause for annoyance but the same must be controlled through
appropriate measures including water sprinkling and spreading heavy dust on eroded surfaces to
reduce the impact to level of minor significance. The site of excavation will be restored by appropriate
landscaping and signage.
Diesel and other petroleum products used for the operation of construction machinery and
equipment would cause air pollution besides causing soil pollution through oil spills.
Water required for numerous construction activities would not be of such order as to result in its
reduced availability for other activities on the CoI or for the living environment. Conservation
practices would nevertheless be adopted during the entire course of construction.
Some shops and other premises along the road may lose business income because the presence of
the construction site will deter customers, and at some locations access will be impeded by road
closures, and by the presence of heavy vehicles and machinery, etc. These impacts must be avoided
by confining the construction area to the actual area in the middle of the road and allowing the traffic
to move on the service roads on either side. The construction area must be confined and barricaded.
Transportation is the principal activity that will be impeded by the construction work. Although the
traffic can move on the service roads, there will be disturbance and overcrowding of vehicles.
Although residential and commercial assets along the road and in the vicinity will not be impacted
directly, yet action should be taken to minimize disturbance as far as possible. This will require:
Consultation with the concerned citizens to inform them of the nature, duration and likely effects
of the construction work, and the mitigation measures in place
Proper planning of work programme so that any particularly noisy or otherwise invasive activities
can be scheduled to avoid sensitive times;
Avoiding noise-generating activities at night;
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Implementing the measures to reduce dust;
Utilizing modern vehicles and machinery with the requisite adaptations to limit noise, vibration &
exhaust emissions, and ensuring that these are maintained to manufacturers’ specifications at all
times.
There is invariably a safety risk when substantial construction such as this is conducted in an urban
area, and precautions will thus be needed to ensure the safety of both workers and citizens. The
contractor will be required to produce and implement a Site Health and Safety Plan. This should
include such measures as:
Excluding the public from the site – enclosing/barricading the construction area; providing
warning boards and sign boards and posting of security guards throughout the day and night,
07/24;
Ensuring that all workers are provided with and use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment
(helmet, hand gloves, boots, masks, safety hoists when working at height, etc);
Follow standard practices of safety checks as prescribed before use of equipments such as cranes,
hoists, etc.
Employ an Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) expert on site;
Provide on-site Health and Safety Training for all site personnel;
Report accidents to the authorities promptly, and maintain records
There could be some short-term socio-economic benefits from the construction work if local people
gain employment in the workforce. To ensure that these benefits are directed to local people, the
Contractor should be required to employ as much of his labor force as possible from the local
communities in the vicinity of construction sites. Drawing of majority of workforce from local
communities will avoid problems that can occur if workers are imported, including social conflicts and
issues of health and sanitation due to labor camps. If temporary labor camps are to be provided;
Contractor should ensure that they are maintained well with proper water supply and sanitation
facilities. Wastewater from construction camps must pass through septic tanks before disposal.
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Figure 6.2: Noise Contour Map of the Project area
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Figure 6.3: Noise levels at the receptor
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6 . 6 S c re e n i n g o f Po te n t ia l En v i ro n me n ta l Imp a c t s a t
Op e r a t io n S tag e
Operation of vehicular traffic will be under optimized conditions as a result of reduced congestion
and free movement. According to assessment of impacts, operation of vehicular traffic will be
responsible for small volumes of gases, which will be dispersed over the project area. The quality of
the airshed of the system including the interchanges, would not be degraded since the level of
priority pollutants viz. SO2 and NOx emissions would, according to estimates, be adequately
dispersed to small order of concentration and would remain well within acceptable limits set by
World Bank Guidelines 1998. As such operations at the Project sites will have no significant impact on
the air quality of the airshed of the macroenvironment as well as that of the RoW of the Corridor
itself.
The project site will discharge only low volume of wastewater. The wastewater would be discharged
into the sewerage system of the neighborhood. As such the wastewater from the operation of
vehicular traffic at the project site would not have significant impact on the micro or
macroenvironment of the area. Likewise the quality of surface water and groundwater would not be
impacted by the operations since the wastewater would be suitably disposed of in existing sewerage
network.
Noise emission level will be substantially reduced due to dispersion in the microenvironment.
Furthermore, the noise level would be contained within the microenvironment of the Project area by
adopting adequate mitigation measures to bring it the acceptable limits of the World Bank Guidelines
and National Environmental Quality Standards, for living areas.
Operation in the project area would start as soon as the structures are in place, the carriageway is
paved and signaged; operations tested for performance as stipulated in the commitment for
sustainable development and the suggested mitigation as well environmental enhancement
measures are in place.
Implementation of proposed Traffic Imprement Plan will induce land use and value changes of such
order that will be of permanent nature but of such magnitude e.g. speculation, whose impact can be
anticipated and contained within the CoI. The macroenvironment of the Project would have minor
impact on the aesthetics of the area but there would be positive impact due to operation of the
system.
The roads and bridges/underpasses generally operate without the need for major maintenance or
repair, therefore there are no long term impacts envisaged. During its design life, the Project should
require no major repair or refurbishment, beyond routine maintenance like small scale ad-hoc repairs
of surface damage caused by traffic use or accidents; repairs and replacement of damaged safety
barriers and signs, etc.
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As there are no significant ecological resources in or around the project area, the operation and the
routine repair & maintenance works will have no impacts on the precious ecology. There would be
some ecological gain from the planting of trees to mask the visual impact of the structures.
The implementation of Project will improve the infrastructure of the Clifton area by providing a more
efficient and effective transportation route, and this should have positive impacts on the overall
economy by reducing time spent idle in stationary traffic by delivery vehicles, employees and
customers.
There are unlikely to have any negative impacts on economic resources. The citizens of the Clifton
area in particular and Karachites in general will benefit from a more effective transportation route as
they will spend less time in stationary traffic exposed to noise, pollution and the associated physical
and psychological stresses. Social and cultural resources may also benefit in a small way as it will be
easier for people to reach their destinations. People may also benefit from an improvement in the
economy of the city, although it would require much larger improvements in transportation and
other infrastructure for this to be recordable.
The Traffic Management Strategy (TMS) will address the local concerns of road users and residents on
the issues of safety and environmental protection, whilst providing a practical input to support
parking, delay control and public transport strategies.
The high level of daily complaints by the general public demonstrates the importance of the issue of
traffic management to the local population. Predominant concerns are:
Speeding;
Parking nuisance;
Lack of pedestrian facilities;
Accident risk;
Inadequate direction, warning and regulatory signs; and,
Inappropriate levels or type of traffic.
Measures to address these concerns are largely “Management strategy”, which includes:
The understanding of the congestion phenomenon
Promotion of sustainable travel,
Minor and major highway works,
Large Goods Vehicle Regulation,
Traffic Regulation Orders, and
Design of quality signing schemes & road markings.
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6 . 7 C h e c k l i s t o f A c t i o ns A f f e c t i n g En v i ro nme n t &
S i g n i f i ca n c e o f T h e ir I mp a ct
Actions Affecting
Environment
Resources & Values
Damage To Environment Recommended
Mitigation Measures
Significance of Impact
A. Environmental Problems due to Inadequate Design None Small Medium Major
1. Unrealistic
assumptions on
available O & M skills
1. Unnecessary damages
because O&M
requirements too high
1. Realistic O & M
assumptions
X
2. Pollution Control
Equipment Selection
2. Assumed pollution
removals not realized
2. Appropriate
equipment selection
X
3. Environmental
pollution control
operations
3. Possible loss in overall
regional welfare
3. Careful
planning/designing/mo
nitoring and use of
appropriate standards
X
3a. Surface water
(Fresh/estuarine)
3a. Impairment of
downstream beneficial
water uses
3a. Careful planning &
monitoring
X
3b. Groundwater 3b Impairment of
beneficial water uses
3b. Careful planning &
monitoring
X
3c. Air 3c. .Impairment of air
quality
3c. Careful planning &
monitoring
X
3d. Noise 3d. Environmental
Degradation &Health
hazard
3d. Careful planning &
monitoring
X
3e. Vibration 3e. Environmental
degradation
3e. Careful planning &
monitoring
X
3f. Seismicity 3f. Seismic hazard 3f. Careful
planning/Disaster
Management Plan
X
4. Impacts on
adjacent land
economic users
including recreation /
tourism
4. Impairment of land uses 4. Careful
planning/O&M
X
5. Occupational
health & Safety
hazards
5. Hazards to workers
health & safety
5. Careful planning to
offset problem
X
6. Hazards due to
Spills/fires/explosions
6. Hazards to workers
health & safety
6. Contingency Plan &
Disaster Management
Plan
X
7. Area sanitation 7.Sanitation/disease 7. Careful X
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hazards planning/design
8. Hauling routes &
entry/exit at
Interchanges
8. Traffic congestion and
nuisances along
routes/Interchanges
8. Careful planning X
B. Environmental
Problems during
Construction Stage
Poor Construction
Practices cause
Environmental
Degradation Problems,
Hazards to workers health
& safety
Careful Construction
Planning and
Implementation
None Small Medium Major
1. Problems due to
uncontrolled
construction
practices
1. Problems of
Environmental
Degradation, Hazards to
workers health & safety
1. Careful Planning and
Implementation
X
a) run off erosion (a) Problems of
Environmental
Degradation
a) Careful Planning and
Implementation
X
b) worker accidents b) Problems of
Environmental
Degradation, Hazards to
workers health & safety
b) Careful Planning and
Implementation
X
c) sanitation disease
hazards
c) Environmental Health
Risks
c) Careful Planning and
Implementation of EMP
X
d) insect vector
disease hazards
(d) Environmental Health
Risks
d) Careful Planning and
Implementation of EMP
X
e) hazardous
material handling
(e) Problems of
Environmental
Management
e) Careful Planning and
Implementation of EMP
X
f) dust / odors / fume (f) Problems of
Environmental
Degradation, Hazards to
workers health & safety
f) Careful Planning and
Implementation
X
g) explosion/fire
hazards/hazardous
materials spills
(g) Problems of
Environmental
Degradation, Hazards to
workers health & safety
g) Contingency Plan &
Disaster Management
Plan
X
h) noise/vibration
hazards
(h) Problems of
Environmental
Degradation
h) Careful Planning and
Implementation of EMP
X
j) traffic congestion (j) Problems of
Environmental
Management
j) Careful Planning and
Implementation of EMP
X
k) water pollution
hazards
(k) Problems of
Environmental
k) Careful Planning and
Implementation of EMP
X
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Degradation
l) blockage of wildlife
passageways
(l) Problems of
Environmental
Degradation
l) Careful Planning and
Implementation
X
2. Uncovered cut &
fill areas
2. Soil erosion &
consequent damage to
properties & environment
2. Careful Planning and
Implementation of EMP
X
2. Inadequate
construction
monitoring
2. Encourages poor
construction practices
2. Adequate monitoring
during construction
X
C. Environmental
Hazards Relating to
Operations
(assuming proper
design assumptions
on O&M)
Unnecessary
Environmental Damages
Adequate O&M and
Implementation of EMP
None Small Medium Major
1. Inadequate O & M 1. Variety of environmental
degradation similar to
items B.1 to 8
1. Adequate O&M and
Implementation of EMP
X
2. Inadequate
operations
phase/environmental
monitoring
2. Opportunity loss for
feedback connections to
project design and O&M
2. Adequate monitoring
and Implementation of
EMP
X
3. Occupational
Health & Safety
Programmes
including accidents
3. Hazards to workers
health & safety
3. Careful O&M
including readiness for
emergency and
Implementation of EMP
X
4. Nuisance from
handling &
Transportation of
fuels on access roads
4. oil drips, spills, dust &
noise hazards
4. Careful O&M
including safe driving
and Implementation of
EMP
X
5. Surface run off
from flyovers
5. leakage of fuel on
ground & oil drips
5. Adequate O&M/
monitoring and
Implementation of EMP
X
D. Critical
Environmental
Review Criteria
Unnecessary
Environmental Damages
from Poor Planning
Careful Siting/ Design/
O&M Monitoring and
Implementation of EMP
None Small Medium Major
1. Loss of
irreplaceable
resources
1. Long-term national
environmental and
economic losses
1. Planning will be
consistent with high-
level government
policies
X
2. Accelerated use of
resources for short
2. Long-term national
environmental and
2. Planning will be
consistent with polices
X
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term gain economic losses
3. Endangering of
species
3. Long-term
environmental losses
3. Planning to be
consistent with polices
X
4. Promoting
undesirable rural-to-
urban migration
4. Intensification of urban
socioeconomic problems
4. Planning to be
consistent with polices
X
5. Increase in
affluence/poor
income gap
5. Intensification of
national socioeconomic
imbalances
5. Planning to be
consistent with polices
X
E. Potential
Environmental
Problems During
Operation
Problems Normally
Handled at Operation
Stage
Carefully Implemented
Environmental
Management Plan, EMP
None Small Medium Major
1. Removal or
damage to
vegetative growth
1. Problem at preparation
of site & during operation
1. Careful
implementation of EMP
X
2. Land Use Changes 2. Problem at preparation
of site & during operation
2. Careful
implementation of EMP
X
3. Micro level
changes in the
human settlements
3. Problem at siting &
Operation stage
3. Careful
implementation of EMP
X
4. Industrial &
Transportation
Activities
4. Problem at Operation
Stage
4. Careful
implementation of EMP
including Traffic
Management
X
5. Emergence of
Slums & Wayside
Commercial Activity
5. Problem at Construction
& Operation Stage
5. Careful
implementation of EMP
X
Overall Rating: The overall significance of impact of activity pertaining to grade
separated traffic improvement plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi
roundabout will be of small to medium order.
04 35 04
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Section 07: Environmental Management &
Monitoring Plan (EMMP)
This Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will serve as a principal execution module of the project
that would not only mitigate adverse environmental impacts during the construction and the
operation phase of the project but also ensures that environmental standards and good in
housekeeping, is maintained. Continuous environmental monitoring is exercised to ensure that
preventive measures are in place and effective to sustain environmental integrity. Some of the key
objectives of EMP are to:
To outline functions and responsibilities of responsible persons.
To state and implement standards and guidelines which are required under environmental
legislations particular in context to the project.
Facilitates the implementation of the mitigation measures by providing the technical details of
each project impact, and proposing implementation schedule of the proposed mitigation
measures.
Define a monitoring mechanism and identify monitoring parameters to ensure that all proposed
mitigation measures are completely and effectively implemented.
Identify training requirements at various levels and provide a plan for the implementation of
training sessions.
Identify the resources required to implement the EMP and outline corresponding financing
arrangements; and
Providing a cost estimate for all proposed EMP actions.
7 . 1 Fu n c t i o ns a nd R e s po n s i b i l i t i e s
Formal responsibilities are necessary to be designated in order to ensure that key procedures are
executed and desired functions are carried out effectively. Specific responsibilities of the Project
Manager, Site Manager, Environmental Officer, Contractor and Independent Monitoring Consultant
(IMC) are detailed below.
The Project Manager shall:
Ensure that the contractor is aware of all specifications, legal constraints, standards and
procedures pertaining to the project specifically with regards to environment.
Ensure that all stipulations within the EMP are communicated and adhered to by contractor(s).
Monitor the implementation of the EMP throughout the project by means of site inspections and
meetings. This will be documented as part of the minutes of the site meeting documents.
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Be fully conversant with the Environmental Assessment of the project, the conditions of the
approval of IEE (already issued), EIA and all relevant environmental legislations.
The Site Manager shall:
Be fully conversant with the Environmental Assessment and conditions of its approval.
Be fully conversant with the Environmental Management Plan.
Be fully conversant with all relevant environmental legislation, policies and procedures, and
ensure compliance with these.
Have overall responsibility for the implementation of EMP.
Conduct audits to ensure compliance to the EMP.
Liaise with the Project Manger or his delegate, the Environmental Officer and relevant discipline
Engineers on matters concerning the environment.
Prevent actions that will harm or may cause harm to the environment, and take steps to prevent
pollution on the site.
Confirm activities to the demarcated construction site.
The Environmental Control Officer (ECO) shall:
Be fully conversant with the Environmental Assessment and conditions of its approval.
Be fully conversant with the Environmental Management Plan.
Be fully conversant with all relevant environmental legislation, policies and procedures, and
ensure compliance with these.
Convey the contents of this document to the contractor site staff and discuss the contents in
detail with the Project Manager and Contractor.
Undertake regular and comprehensive inspection of the site and surrounding areas in order to
monitor compliance with the EMP.
Take appropriate action if the specifications contained in the EMP are not followed.
Monitor and verify that environmental impacts are kept to a minimum, as far as possible.
Review and approve construction methods, with input from the Site Manager, where necessary.
Ensure that activities on site comply with all relevant environmental legislation.
Order the removal of person(s) and/or equipment in contravention of the specifications of the
EMP.
Compile progress reports on regular basis, with input from the Site Manager, for submission to
the Project Manager, including a final post construction audit.
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Liaise with the Site Manager regarding the monitoring of the site.
Report any non-compliance or remedial measures that need to be applied.
All environmental problems arising on the construction area will be reported to the Site Manager by
the Environmental Manager. Reports on such problems will be submitted to the Project Manager by
the Site Manager.
Contractors and Service Providers:
Environmental management is part of on-site quality management. Under the environmental
management plan, the contractor:
Shall propose measures to minimize environmental impacts during construction process, and
submit them to the Environmental Officer.
In case of having impacts on the environment, the contractor will inform them to the
Environmental Officer in time to get instructions and then take next step.
Comply with the environmental management specifications;
Submitting an obligatory Methods Statement for approval by the Environmental Officer before
any work is undertaken;
Adhering to any instructions issued by the Engineer/Project Manager on the advice of the
Environmental Officer;
Submitting a report at each site meeting which will document all incidents that have occurred
during the period before the site meeting.
Displaying the list of transgressions issued by the Environmental Officer in the site office.
Maintaining a public complaints register.
Arrange that all his employees and those of his subcontractors receive training before the
commencement of construction.
Independent Monitoring Consultant
Independent Monitoring Consultant appointed will be headed by Project Manager. He along with his
team will supervise the Project Contractors to ensure quality of work and fulfillment of contractual
obligations. The Independent Monitoring Consultant (IMC) shall:
Ensure that all environmental and social parameters/provisions comply with the applicable
standards;
Ensure that day-to-day construction activities are carried out in an environmentally sound and
sustainable manner.
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Organize periodic environmental training programmmes and workshops for the Contactor's staff
and Site staff in consultation with the administration; and
Develop "good practice" construction guidelines to assist the Contractors and Administrative staff
in implementing the EMP.
Independent Safety Manager will
Also be appointed for the project. The Safety Manager will identify safety deficiencies at various
stages in the development of the project, so that they can be eliminated at the most opportune
time to reduce costs and minimize disruption to design and construction progress. It will be the
Safety Manager’s responsibility to critically examine all aspects of the project which may have
adverse safety implications, considering carefully the needs of all road users.
Shall specifically describe the safety deficiencies, potential or real, which have been identified
along with the relevant references to accepted standards, practices and highway safety principles.
The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to oversee and regulate
environmental compliance. EPA may check at any point whether activities comply with national
environmental legislation and monitor enforcement of recommendations for environmental
mitigation measures as prescribed in the EIA.
7 . 2 E n v i ro n me n ta l M an ag e me n t P l a n
The proposed subproject and its components, the baseline environmental profile of the project area,
the anticipated environmental impacts and appropriate mitigation measures to avoid / reduce /
mitigate / compensate for the identified impacts have been discussed in detailed in earlier sections.
This Environmental Management Plan is developed for implementation listing the impacts,
appropriate mitigation measures, delegating the responsibility of implementation to concerned
agencies. This is shown in the following Table 7-1.
7 . 3 E n v i ro n me n ta l M on i tor i ng P l a n
A program of monitoring will be conducted to ensure that all the parties take the specified action to
provide the required mitigation, to assess whether the action has adequately protected the
environment, and to determine whether any additional measures may be necessary. Regular
monitoring of implementation of mitigations measures by Construction Contractor will be conducted
by the Implementing Agency. Periodic monitoring and overseeing of implementation of mitigation
measures will be conducted by the IMC. Monitoring during operation stage will be conducted by the
Operating Agency.
Most of the mitigation measures are fairly standard methods of minimizing disturbance from building
in urban areas (public inconvenience and traffic disruptions). Monitoring of such measures normally
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involves making observations in the course of site visits, although some require more formal checking
of records and other aspects.
Table 6-2 shows the proposed Environmental Monitoring Plan for this Project, which specifies the
various monitoring activities to be conducted during different phases of the project. The plan
describes: (i) mitigation measures, (ii) location, (iii) measurement method, (iv) frequency of monitoring
and (v) responsibility (for both mitigation and monitoring).
7 . 4 Gr i e va n c e R ed re ss M ec h ani s m
Timely and effective redress of stakeholder grievances contribute to bringing sustainability in the
operations of a project. In particular, it will help advocate the process of forming and strengthening
relationships between project management and the stakeholder community groups and bridge any
gaps to create a common understanding, providing the project management the ‘social license’ to
operate in the area.
The grievance redress mechanism proposed for the Project will help achieve the objectives of
sustainability and cooperation by dealing with the environmental and social issues of the Project.The
proposed grievance redress mechanism will be designed to cater for the issues of the people that can
be affected by the Project.
7 . 4 . 1 F r a m e w o r k f o r G r i e v a n c e R e d re s s M e c h a n i s m
The Owners will develop a stakeholder grievance redress mechanism.
7 . 4 . 2 E n v i ro n me n t a l R e g u l a t i o n s
The Federal Agency, under Regulation 6 of the IEE-EIA Regulations 2000, has issued a set of
guidelines of general applicability and sectoral guidelines indicating specific assessment
requirements. Under the regulations and guidelines, no specific requirements are laid out for
developing a grievance redress mechanism for projects.
However, under its Guidelines for Public Consultation, 1997, the proponents are required to consult
stakeholders during the implementation phase of the project. In this regards, it is stated that the
representatives of local community partake in the monitoring process to promote a stable
relationship between the project management and the community.
7 . 4 . 3 O u t l i n e o f M e c h a n i s m f o r G r i e v a n c e R e d re s s
The Owners will have an effective mechanism to ensure timely and effective handling of grievances
related to the Project. It may include:
A Public Complaints Unit (PCU), which will be responsible to receive, log, and resolve complaints;
and,
A Grievance Redress Committee (GRC), responsible to oversee the functioning of the PCU as well
as the final non-judicial authority on resolving grievances that cannot be resolved by PCU;
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Grievance Focal Points (GFPs), which will be educated people from the community that can be
approached by the community members for their grievances against the Project.
Table 7-1: Environmental Management Plan
Impact
Sig
nif
ican
ce
Du
rati
on
Mitigation
Resp
on
sib
ilit
y
Preconstruction
Involuntary
resettlement
L P Implement compensatory measures
Suggested measures must be implemented before the
signing of contract for civil works including:
Compensation equivalent to the amount of business
income lost as a result of the construction process;
Compensation at replacement cost for lost income-
generating assets (shop premises, etc);
Additional financial assistance to enable them to re-
establish their business at an alternative location.
KMC
Construction
Tree Cutting Obtain necessary approvals from concerned authority for
tree cutting
Plant and maintain five trees for each tree felled as a
compensatory measure
CC
Excavation will
produce large
quantity of waste soil,
which needs proper
disposal.
L P Utilize surplus soil for beneficial purposes such as in
construction activities elsewhere and filling up low-lying
areas
CC
Dust nuisance due to
construction
M T Cover or damp down by water spray on the excavated
mounds of soil to control dust generation
Damp down soil while moving from excavation area to
earthen ramp portion
Damp down the surface of the developing ramps and any
soil stockpiled on site by spraying with water when
necessary during dry weather;
Use tarpaulins to cover soil/materials when transported
by truck
Bring the material (aggregate) as and when required;
Use tarpaulins to cover loose material/soil that is
transported to and from the site by truck
Damp down soil sufficiently while using for leveling the
ground
Control dust generation while unloading the material
CC
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(particularly aggregate) at the site by sprinkling water
and unloading an a barricaded area
Sprinkle water in truck after downloading material; or
cover it with tarpaulin to avoid dust raging from the truck
while it is moving
Impacts on drainage Do not divert/dispose silt laden water into drains directly
Provide temporary ponds in the site for temporary
storage; dispose of clarified water into nearest drains
Ensure that disposal into drains do not lead to water
accumulation in the nearby areas
Divert existing drains in the working section (ROW)
temporarily; construct a temporary drain if required
Complete construction of new drain as soon as possible
and restore the flow
CC
Generation of noise
and vibrations from
excavation
L T Consultation with the local community to inform them of
the nature, duration and likely effects of the construction
work, and the mitigation measures in place
Do not conduct noise generating activities in the night
Employ manual methods, where required
Proper planning of work programme so that any
particularly noisy activities can be scheduled to avoid
sensitive times;
Utilize modern vehicles and machinery with the requisite
adaptations to limit noise and exhaust emissions, and
ensuring that these are maintained to manufacturers’
specifications at all times.
CC
Impacts due to
improper mining for
construction
materials
L P Ensure that construction materials (sand, aggregate and
gravel) are obtained from quarries licensed by district
government
CC
Shops and other
business may lose
income if costumer’s
access is impeded
L T Inform the public in general and business establishments
in particular about the work in advance
Maintain service roads and pedestrian walks in good
condition
Control dust generation
CC
Excavation could
damage existing
infrastructure /
utilities
L P Confirm location of underground infrastructure/utilities
before start of work
Provide prior public information about the likely
disruption of services
Ensure that alternate arrangements are provided during
the relocation
CC
Hindrance to traffic
due to construction
work
M T Maintain the service roads in good condition to allow
smooth traffic movement; provide necessary personnel to
guide and control the traffic
Provide alternative traffic arrangement/detours so that
CC
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traffic can be distributed and move on different roads
and ensure that public is informed about such traffic
diversions
Barricade the site properly; avoid accidental entry of
traffic (pedestrian / vehicular) into site.
Provide information to the public through media–daily
newspapers and local cable television (TV) services, about
the need and schedule of work, and alternative routes
At the work site, public information/caution boards shall
be provided - information shall inter-alia include: project
name, cost and schedule; executing agency and
contractor details; nature and schedule of work; traffic
diversion details, if any; entry restriction information;
competent official’s name and contact information for
public complaints.
Increase in traffic due
to trucks carrying
construction material
and heavy equipment
L T Plan routes to avoid narrow streets, congested roads, and
places of religious importance
Plan work to avoid peak traffic hours
CC
Workers and public at
risk from accidents on
site
M T Follow standard and safe construction practices
Exclude the public from the site – enclose/barricade the
construction area, provide warning boards/sign boards
and post security guards throughout the day and night
Ensure that all workers are provided with and use
appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (helmet, hand
gloves, boots, masks, safety hoists when working at
height, etc);
Barricade the entire area that may come under influence
in case of accidents – this may particularly be critical
during fixing of pre-cast girders using heavy duty cranes;
this may be conducted during lean traffic periods and if
required traffic may also be stopped
Follow standard practices of safety checks as prescribed
before use of equipments such as cranes, hoists, etc.
Employ an Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Expert
on site;
Provide on-site Health and Safety Training for all site
personnel;
Report accidents to the authorities promptly, and
maintain records
CC
Economic benefits for
people employed in
workforce
L T Ensure that most of the unskilled workforce is from local
communities
CC
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Table 7-2: Environmental Monitoring Plan
Mitigation Measures Responsible
for Mitigation
Monitoring Method and
Parameters
Monitoring
Frequency
Responsible
for Monitoring
Preconstruction
Implement
compensatory
measures
KMC Records review; interview
with APs
As needed IMC
Obtain necessary
approvals for tree
cutting
Plant and maintain
five tree for each tree
felled
CC Records review; onsite-
observation
As needed IMC
Confirm location of
underground
infrastructure
Inform public about
the likely disruption
of services
Ensure alternate
arrangements during
the relocation
CC Observations on-site; CC
records; Consult
respective agencies;
informal public interviews
Weekly IMC
Construction
Utilize surplus soil for
beneficial purposes
CC Observations onsite/off-
site; CC records
Weekly IMC
Damp down soil to
arrest dust
Use tarpaulins to
cover soil in transport
Do not divert/dispose
silt laden water into
drains
Provide temporary
ponds in the site
Ensure that no water
accumulated due to
disposal
Divert existing drains
in the work area
(ROW)
Construct temporary
drains if required
Complete
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construction of new
drain early
Inform local
community about the
work
Identify old and
sensitive buildings
and safe practices
Do not conduct noise
generating activities
in the night
Employ manual
methods, where
required
Avoid noisy or
invasive activities in
sensitive times;
Utilize modern
machinery and in
good condition
Obtained
construction material
from licensed quarries
Inform public and
business about the
work in advance
Maintain service
roads / pedestrian
walks in good
condition
Provide necessary
personnel to guide &
control traffic
Provide bypasses /
traffic detours &
inform public
Barricade the site
properly; avoid
accidental entry
Provide information
to the public through
media
Provide public
information / caution
boards at site
CC Observations on-site; CC
records; informal public
interviews
Weekly IMC
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Avoid congested /
sensitive roads for
material transport
Avoid peak traffic
hours
Follow standard and
safe construction
practices
Exclude the public
from the site and post
security guards
Provide Personal
Protective Equipment
to workers
Barricade the entire
area that may come
under influence in
case of accidents
Follow standard
safety checks as
prescribed for
equipment
Employ EHS Expert on
site
Provide on-site
Health and Safety
Training for personnel
Report accidents and
maintain records
Engage unskilled
workforce from local
communities
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Table 7-3: Environmental Observation/Monitoring Checklist
Monitoring Item Construction Stage Operation Stage
Noise & Vibration Monitoring
Monitoring
Parameter
Leq (dBA) Leq (dBA)
Monitoring
Frequency
Measuring 2 Times Per Month, 16
hours/day, 3 times/hour
Measuring 1 time per quarter during
the first 12 months
Comparative
Standard
NEQS, International NEQS, International
Air Quality Monitoring
Monitoring
Parameter
CO, CO2, SO2, NOx, Dust CO, CO2, SO2, NOx, Dust
Monitoring
Frequency
Measuring 2 Times Per Month, 16 hours/
day, 3 times / hour
Measuring 1 time per quarter during
the first 12 months
Comparative
Standard
NEQS NEQS
Solid Water Removal
Monitoring
Parameter
Solid Waste/Construction Debris Solid Waste/Construction
Debris/Garbage
Monitoring
Frequency
This has to be removed by KMC before the operation phase begins. The garbage
dumping will not be allowed at the roads.
Comparative
Standard ------ -------
Removal of Encroachments
Monitoring
Parameter
Encroachments Encroachments
Monitoring
Frequency
Nobody shall be allowed to encroach any further land/area. Strict action would be
taken against the violator.
Comparative
Standard ------ -------
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Environmental Management Consultants
Sect ion 08: Conclus ion and Recommendation
The environmental assessment process described in this document has evaluated the environmental
impacts of proposed “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T.
Naqvi Roundabout.” The proposed Traffic Improvement Plan comprises: i) flyover along 26th
street/shahrahe firdausi, ii) improved traffic management at A.T. Naqvi chowk under the above
flyover, iii) underpasses for entry/exit movements to/from Bahria Town Icon tower and Clifton
funland, iv) interchange between shahrahe Iran and shahrah firdausi near Park Towers intersection
leading to 2-Talwar intersection, v) other at-grade improvements for better traffic management in the
corridor of impact, and vi) provision of a number of grade-separated pedestrian crossings at
important locations.
The project has responded to the need emerging from creation of High Density Zone and the
consequent necessity to improve the Traffic management in the different zones vide “The Sindh High
Density Development Board Act, 2010”. The High Density Development Board was created under
Section 3 of the Act, while Section 4 of the Act empowered the Board to identify and earmark the
high-density zones in the urban centres of the cities of the Province as per the defined procedure. It is
pertinent to mention here that high density zones were created to respond to the centripetal forces
that had developed during the process of rapid urbanization.
A Traffic Impact Assessment study was initiated as per the recommendations of the Sindh High
Density Development Board that was held on December 22, 2011 under the chairmanship of
Honorable Governer Sindh. The recommendations mandated the proponents of high risers to
develop a traffic management plan taking all the stakeholders on board. The Traffic Impact
Assessment (TIA) study was compltede in July 2012; it focussed on mitigation and transport
improvement of the areas adjacent to the main high risers including Bahria Icon. The report primarily
focused on addressing the prevailing traffic & transport situation in the microenvironment and
suggested mitigation measures to address the situation so created.
The project responds to the emerging need of traffic management resulting from continuity of
development activities sought by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) in the Clifton area. There
has been continuous increase in the volume of vehicular traffic while the project area is constrained
by capacity of the roads. The activities in the Project area are likely to entail a tremendous increase in
Trip attraction/generation rates for which a master plan must be in hand to forecast the traffic
movement and its handling.
The cumulative impact of construction activity on weak structures has to be taken into consideration
and conservation measures should be provided to strengthen the weak structures in the
neighborhood. Such measures have been recognized for Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar which is located
on top of the hill but has not been extended to the depth of the cave in which Mahadev Mandir is
located. The proponent is committed to adopt conservation measures to protect all the structures
particularly those which are not well grounded for e.g., Mahadev Mandir which is in the cave.
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Environmental Management Consultants
The proponent must give top priority to the recommended conservation measures and formulate a
plan in consultation with the Management of Mahadev Mandir and Jahangir Kothari Parade
(Heritage). What is needed is the consolidation of the weak geological structure of the cave without
disturbing the sanctity and hydrogeology of the microsite. There is need for immediate redressal by
reversing the damages done and maintaining the mandatory buffer zone specified by the Law or
finding an alternative design which bypasses the sensitive structures and monuments leaving
sufficient space for their protection.
Once the construction is over, the Project will function without any major maintenance so no major
impacts envisaged. Operation of the Project will, on adoption of the mitigation measures, have
reduced significance of impact on the physical as well as socioeconomic structure of the
microenvironment and macroenvironment of its corridor of impact (CoI). The impact on the
aesthetics, if any, will be mitigated through careful planning and land/street-scaping in collaboration
with concerned stakeholders.
The proposed Project, when commissioned, would be integrated into the concerned
microenvironment and will become a friendly component of its macroenvironment. The nature of
Project, its siting; adoption of adequate measures to minimize waste and control pollution during
construction as well as operation stages of the project will have residual impact of low significance on
the microenvironment and macroenvironment as well as on precious ecology.
Construction of flyover and underpasses at the proposed sites and operation of vehicular traffic is not
expected to have unacceptable/significant impact on the aesthetics of the microenvironment and
macroenvironment. The impact, if identified, will be mitigated through careful planning, suitable
landscaping and adopting appropriate mitigation measures, besides providing a monitoring and
contingency plan.
Mitigation will be assured by a program of environmental monitoring conducted to ensure that all
measures are provided as intended, and to determine whether the environment is protected as
envisaged. This will include observations on and off site, document checks, and interviews with
workers and beneficiaries, and any requirements for remedial action will be reported to the EPA
Sindh.
There are two essential recommendations that need to be followed to ensure that the environmental
impacts of the project are successfully mitigated.The Implementing Agency (KMC) shall ensure that:
All mitigation, compensation and enhancement measures proposed in this EIA report are
implemented in full, as described in the document;
The Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan is implemented in letter and spirit.
Screening of potential impact suggests that proposed “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan
from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout” will, on adoption of the suggested
mitigation measures, be an environmentally acceptable proposition.
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Environmental Management Consultants
Furthermore the Project will achieve the prime objectives of sustainable development in facilitating
safe, secure and speedy travel along the main intersection viz. Park Tower and A.T. Naqvi chowk,
besides upgrading and modernizing the infrastructure facilities of the fast growing section by
identifying the bottlenecks and removing the constraints to smooth flow of traffic.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
Appendices
Environmental Management Consultants
APPENDICES
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
Appendix - I
Environmental Management Consultants
Appendix I : Traffic Impact
Assessment (TIA) Study
BAHRIA TOWN
ICON TOWER,
Karachi.
Traffic Impact Assessment Report
(Draft 01)
December, 2010
Final Report
July 2012
BAHRIA TOWN
ICON TOWER,
Karachi.
Traffic Impact Assessment Report
(Draft 01)
December, 2010
A REVIEWOF TRAFFIC PROFILE OF CLIFTON AREA:-
ASSESSMENT OF ISSUES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
S. No. CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Study Objectives
1.2 Jurisdiction
2 STUDY METHODOLOGY
2.1 Volume to Capacity Ratio (v/c)
2.2 Level of Service (LOS)
3 EXISTING ROAD NETWORK
3.1 Major Roads
3.2 Data Collection
4 TRAVEL DEMAND MODELING
4.1 Network Development
4.2 Network Attributes
4.3 Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ)
4.4 Model Calibration
5 Existing Road Network Performance (BASE CASE)
5.1 Performance of Shahrah-e-Firdausi
5.2 Performance of Shahrah-e-Iran
5.3 Performance of Old Clifton Road
5.4 Performance of Zamzama Boulevard
5.5 Performance of Khayaban-e-Shujaat
5.6 Performance of Gizri Road
5.7 Performance of Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road
5.8 Performance of Khayaban-e-Iqbal
5.9 Performance of Moulvi Tamizuddin (MT) Khan Road
5.10 Performance of Mai Kolachi Bypass
5.11 Performance at Khayaban-e-Roomi
5.12 Performance of Sunset Boulevard
5.13 Performance of Korangi Road
5.14 Performance of Club Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal
5.15 Performance of Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road
6 ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT
6.1 Policy Test 1
6.2 Policy Test 2
6.3 Policy Test 3
6.4 Policy Test 4
6.5 Policy Test 5
6.6 Policy Test 6
6.7 Policy Test 7
7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
S. No. LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 LOS Criteria
Table 2.2 Urban Street LOS by Class
Table 4.1 Road Attributes for Road Classifications
Table 4.2 Locations for Network Calibration
Table 5.1 Shahrah-e-Firdausi Existing Network Performance
Table 5.2 Shahrah-e-Iran Existing Network Performance
Table 5.3 Zamzama Boulevard Existing Network Performance
Table 5.4 Khayaban-e-Shujaat Existing Network Performance
Table 5.5 Gizri Road Existing Network Performance
Table 5.6 Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road Existing Network Performance
Table 5.7 Khayaban-e-Iqbal Existing Network Performance
Table 5.8 Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass,Khayaban-e-Roomi, Sunset Boulevard, Korangi Road, Club Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal Existing Network Performance
Table 5.9 Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Existing Network Performance
Table 6.1 Description of Policy Tests
Table 6.2 (insert correct table)
Table 6.3 Zamzama Boulevard Network Performance
Table 6.4 Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Table 6.5 Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
Table 6.6 Shahrah-e-Firdausi Network Performance
Table 6.7 Zamzama Boulevard Network Performance
Table 6.8 Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Table 6.9 Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
Table 6.10 Khayaban-e-Iqbal and Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Network Performance
Table 6.11 Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Table 6.12 Shahrah-e-Iran Network Performance
Table 6.13 Shahrah-e-Firdausi Network Performance
Table 6.14 Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road Network Performance
Table 6.15 Khayaban-e-Iqbal and Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Network Performance
Table 6.16 Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Table 6.17 Sunset Boulevard Network Performance
Table 6.18 Shahrah-e-Iran Network Performance
Table 6.19 Shahrah-e-Firdausi Network Performance
Table 6.20 Zamzama Boulevard Network Performance
Table 6.21 Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road Network Performance
Table 6.22 Khayaban-e-Iqbal, Shahrah-e-Firdausi and Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Network Performance
Table 6.23 Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
S. No. LIST OF TABLES
Table 6.24 Shahrah-e-Iran Network Performance
Table 6.25 Sunset Boulevard Network Performance
Table 6.26 Khayaban-e-Shamsheer Network Performance
Table 6.27 Khayaban-e-Roomi / Sunset Boulevard / Korangi Road Network Performance
Table 6.28 Mai Kolachi Bypass Network Performance
Table 6.29 Khayaban-e-Iqbal Network Performance
Table 6.30 Mai Kolachi Bypass Network Performance
Table 6.31 Khayaban-e-Roomi / Sunset Boulevard Network Performance
Table 6.32 Korangi Road Network Performance
Table 6.33 Gizri Road Network Performance
Table 6.34 Khayaban-e-Iqbal Network Performance
Table 6.35 Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
Table 6.36 Gizri Road Network Performance
Table 6.37 Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
Table 6.38 Mai Kolachi Bypass Network Performance
Table 6.39 Khayaban-e-Iqbal Network Performance
Table 6.40 Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Khayaban-e-Roomi, Sunset Boulevard, Korangi Road, Shahrah-e-Iran and Club Road Network Performance
Table 6.41 Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass,Khayaban-e-Roomi, Sunset Boulevard, Korangi Road, Club Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal Network Performance
Table 6.42 Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Network Performance
Table 6.43 Khayaban-e-Iqbal Network Performance
Table 6.44 Gizri Road Network Performance
Table 6.45 Shahrah-e-Firdausi Network Performance
S. No. LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 4.1 Concept of Demand Modelling
Figure 4.2 Highway and Transit Networks
Figure 4.3 Portion of Karachi Network along with Blown up view of Roads in Project Vicinity
Figure 4.4 Network Calibration
Figure 5.1 Existing v/c ratios on Study Area Roads
Figure 6.1 One way traffic on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi
Figure 6.2 Existing v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi
Figure 6.3 v/c ratio after implementing Strategy 1-A
Figure 6.4 One way traffic on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from Bilawal Chowrangi to A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi
Figure 6.5 Existing v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from Bilawal Chowrangi to A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi
Figure 6.6 v/c ratio after implementing Strategy B
Figure 6.7 One way traffic from Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass (Schon Circle) to Abdullah Haroon road (Sind Club) for outbound traffic and Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road (PIDC House to Submarine Intersection) for inbound traffic
Figure 6.8 Existing v/c ratio at Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass (Schon Circle) to Abdullah Haroon road (Sind Club) Inbound and Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road, PIDC House to Submarine Intersection Outbound
Figure 6.9 v/c ratio after implementing strategy 2A
Figure 6.10 One way traffic Abdullah Haroon road (Sind Club) to from Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass (Schon Circle) Outbound and Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road, Submarine Intersection to PIDC House Inbound
Figure 6.11 Existing v/c ratio at Abdullah Haroon road (Sind Club) to Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass (Schon Circle) Outbound and Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road, Submarine Intersection to PIDC House Inbound
Figure 6.12 v/c ratio after implementing strategy 2B
Figure 6.13 One way traffic on Shahrah-e-Firdousi (A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi), Khayaban-e-Iqbal (Schon Circle to Abdullah Haroon Road) and Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road (PIDC House to Submarine Intersection)
Figure 6.14 Existing v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdousi (A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi), Khayaban-e-Iqbal (Schon Circle to Abdullah Haroon Road) and Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road (PIDC House to Submarine Intersection)
Figure 6.15 v/c ratio after implementing Policy Test 3
Figure 6.16 Grade separation at Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor and Akhtar Colony
Figure 6.17 Existing v/c ratio from Khayaban-e-Roomi Rd, Sunset Boulevard Rd, and Korangi Road
Figure 6.18 v/c ratio after implementing strategy of Grade separation intersection at Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor and Akhtar Colony
S. No. LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 6.19 Grade separation intersection at Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony and bridge connecting Old Clifton Road to Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Figure 6.20 Existing v/c ratio from Khayaban-e-Roomi Rd, Sunset Boulevard Rd, Korangi Road and Old Clifton Rd
Figure 6.21 v/c ratio after implementing strategy Grade separation intersection at Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony and proposed bridge at Old Clifton Rd
Figure 6.22 Grade separation intersection at PIDC House, Hotel Mehran, Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony, PIDC House and bridge connected Old Clifton Road & Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Figure 6.23 Existing v/c ratio from Khayaban-e-Roomi Rd, Sunset Boulevard Rd, Korangi Road, M.T Khan Road and Old Clifton Rd
Figure 6.24 v/c ratio after implementing strategy along with widening M.T. Khan Rd, Grade separation intersection at PIDC House, Hotel Mehran, Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony and proposed bridge at Old Clifton Rd
Figure 6.25 Grade separation intersection at PIDC House, Hotel Mehran, Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony, PIDC House, and Hotel Mehran
Figure 6.26 Existing v/c ratio from Khayaban-e-Roomi Rd, Sunset Boulevard Rd, Korangi Road, M.T Khan Road and Club Road
Figure 6.27 v/c ratio after implementing strategy along with widening M.T. Khan Rd, Grade separation intersection at PIDC House, Hotel Mehran, Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, and Akhtar Colony
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Clifton is one of the most posh localities of Karachi along with the Pakistan Defence
Officers Housing Authority (PDOHA). Clifton lies to the south of Karachi, adjacent to
DHA. The area is inhabited by residential developments, shopping centers, schools,
consulates and the Clifton beach.
In addition, many of the major accesses to DHA are from Clifton. 26th Commercial
Street, Zamzama Boulevard, Khayaban-e-Hafiz and Sea View Road are the major
accesses to DHA from Clifton. The traffic generated from residential and commercial
establishments from within DHA causes congestion on the existing Clifton road
network.
The existing transport network of Clifton is old, with no new road network
enhancement programs initiated in the recent past. Clifton area has high car
ownership ratio as compared to other parts of the city, with little public transport
facilities. The constant increase in traffic on the existing infrastructure contributes
significantly to congestion along many of the street corridors.
Exponent Engineers (Pvt.) Ltd. undertook this preliminary study to identify the
potential transport network deficiencies in the Clifton area and then to propose
mitigation measure to alleviate increasing traffic congestion. This report provides a
system wide analysis of the traffic improvement alternatives for the Clifton area of
Karachi.
For the purposes of this study, the study area was defined and the existing road
network performance was determined through the help of macro simulation
modeling software STRADA. The road corridor / intersection performance was
established through two widely used transportation infrastructure analysis
components; the volume to capacity (v/c) ratio of the corridor / intersection and
the corresponding Level of Service (LOS).
Several infrastructure improvement scenarios were modeled to propose a
comprehensive solution to the existing traffic problems in Clifton. Scenarios ranging
from making existing streets one way to establishment of new links to construction
of grade separated structures were modeled under various scenarios, named “Policy
Tests”. Each policy test was modeled as an extension / improvement of the
previous policy test.
Proposed Solution:
The macro modeling results indicate that Policy Test 7 (Section 6.7 of this report)
provides the best overall traffic solution. This improvement measures identified in
this scenario proposes widening of M. T. Khan Road along with construction of
grade separated structures at the following intersections:
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence Morr
Akhtar Colony
PIDC Intersection
Hotel Mehran Intersection
Key Features of the Proposed Solution:
Widening of M. T. Khan Road is essential for any significant improvements to take
effect. The existing M. T. Khan Road carries heavy traffic from / to the port to reach
the Korangi / Landhi Industrial areas via Mai Kolachi Bypass, Khayaban-e-Roomi,
Sunset Boulevard and Korangi Road. M. T. Khan road section from New US
Consulate to PIDC intersection creates a bottleneck due to a 2-lane bridge over the
railway tracks. Any improvements at PIDC or elsewhere within the vicinity would be
incomplete without widening of this section of M. T. Khan Road.
Grade separated structures at Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor
and Akhtar Colony are proposed which lie on the same section of the road, i.e. from
M. T. Khan Road to Korangi Road via Mai Kolachi Bypass, Khayaban-e-Roomi,
Sunset Boulevard and Korangi Road. This road corridor lies within the jurisdiction of
separate authorities. The section between Submarine Chowk and Defence Mor is
the jurisdiction of Clifton Cantonment Board (CCB), while the section between Mai
Kolachi Bypass and Schon Circle is the jurisdiction of Karachi Metropolitan
Corporation (KMC).
Implementation Strategy:
It is possible that the recommendations of policy test 7 be broken into various
“projects” to streamline the construction of recommended solutions. The
recommended prioritization of the Clifton area network improvement is as follows.
Widening of M. T. Khan between the New US Consulate and PIDC
intersection by KMC,
Construction of Grade separated structures at PIDC and Hotel Mehran
intersection by KMC,
Ensuring that heavy traffic only plies on this route from midnight to
6am and banning of heavy vehicles from Mai Kolachi Bypass up to
Akhtar Colony in the future,
Construction of grade separated structures at Submarine Chowk,
Punjab Colony and Defence Mor intersections by Clifton Cantonment
Board, and
Construction of grade separated structure at Akhtar Colony by KMC.
It is recommended that a detailed study be conducted for the feasibility and
implementation framework for the recommended solution to traffic problems in
Clifton.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Traveling is always associated with a reason to travel. Even when driving from one place to another for leisure, the reason for travel still exists. Further expanding the idea, we can state that any human activity produces trips. It may either generate
and / or attract trips. Further investigating, characteristics of the trips produced or attracted reveal that there are many reasons behind these and therefore trips can
be classified based on reason to travel. The above discussion suggests that all land use based activities produces trips and
thus have some impact / contribution on the traffic network in the vicinity or ‘Influence Area’. However, size of this Influence Area depends on factors such as
the magnitude of human activity, placement along the existing traffic network, number of trips generated and / or attracted, existing traffic situation in the area, socio-economic characteristics of the area as well as of the people involved in the
activities.
Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan with an estimated population of around 18 million. The Government of Pakistan recognizes that urban development is very important for nationwide economic growth, thus gives its highest priority to the city
of Karachi. Recent increase in population and traffic causes serious traffic jams in the city. This significantly gives negative impacts on social and economic activities
of Karachi as well as environmental issues. Karachi’s traffic problems emanate from a lack of reliable public transport system,
thereby increasing reliance on private vehicle ownership. Over the last decade, the rapid increase in motor vehicle owning ratio has further exacerbated the already
acute transport problems, resulting in increased congestion on city roads.
Public transport system is in a shambles, causing hardships to the people of Karachi. People are seen sitting on the roof of buses to travel. The demand for public transport has increased manifold owing to a rapid increase in the city’s
population. Meanwhile, the number of buses and mini-buses is on the decline. Whenever there is a strike or any politically-motivated activity, many buses/mini-
buses, mainly belonging to the private sector, are torched because of lack of police protection. The already deficient public transport system is nearly non-existent in the affluent localities of the city, mainly the Clifton and Defence Housing Authority
(DHA) areas of southern Karachi.
Clifton lies in the southern area of Saddar Town. Clifton has been reputed to be a residential place of the rich and famous people of Karachi since the independence of Pakistan. In the south of Clifton lies the Clifton Beach, Pakistan's most popular
beach. There are also many schools of great repute located in Clifton. Karachi Grammar School is located between Boat Basin and Bilawal Roundabout, Avicenna
School is located in Block 2 Clifton, Convent of Jesus and Mary also known as CJM is an all-girls school located near II Talwar roundabout, The Lyceum School is also
located near II Talwar roundabout, among many others. SZABIST, one of Karachi's leading Universities offering a variety of degrees is also situated in this area.
In addition of Karachi’s prestigious schools, many high profile shopping centers
such as The Forum, Park Towers and dolmen Mall are located in Clifton. The area is also home to many consulates. Due to the lack of a reliable and efficient public transport system, the use of private vehicles is the main mode of travel in Clifton.
The increase in traffic over the years is not matched by infrastructure improvements, thereby compounding congestion on the existing thoroughfares.
Three of the six (6) major accesses to Karachi’s other premier residential locality, the DHA, is through Clifton, which in turns put an extra burden on the existing transport infrastructure within the area.
There is therefore a need to address the growing transport infrastructure problems
of Clifton area by recommending concrete and practical measures to alleviate congestion on the roads. The overall purpose of the Clifton area Transportation Improvement Plan is to develop policies and strategies for the transportation
network to cater for the increased traffic demand, thus providing an efficient transport infrastructure within the constraints.
1.1 Study Objectives
Identify potential traffic problem areas / corridors in the Clifton area, Study the various options / alternatives to mitigate traffic congestion, and
Recommend measures to improve overall traffic operations in the Clifton area.
1.2 Jurisdiction
Karachi is divided into many controlling authorities. The main body, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has five (5) District Municipal Corporations and a
District Council Karachi. In addition, Karachi has six (6) cantonment boards. The KMC and Clifton Cantonment Board (CCB) have jurisdiction over the Clifton /
Defence areas. Clifton Cantonment is one of the posh localities of Karachi with huge infrastructure, sprawling shopping centers and decent recreational areas, neat and
clean environment and 131/2 km long beach towards southern proximity where the Karachiites throng every evening in large numbers for entertainment. Clifton Cantonment is comprised of DHA Phases I to VIII, Blocks 8 & 9 of KDA Scheme 5,
kachi abadees declared as Bazaar Area i.e. Delhi Colony, Madniabad, Punjab Colony, Chandio Village, Bakhshan Village, Ch. Khaliq-uz-Zaman Colony, Pak
Jumhoria Colony, Lower Gizri, Hazara Colony (Railway land), P&T Colony, MES Colony, Transit Camp, PNS Haider, PNS Shifa and 494 FWO Engineering Group.
Figure 1.1 shows the boundary of Clifton Cantonment Board. (Pl insert figure)
2.0 STUDY METHODOLOGY
Several alternatives were developed through Policy Testing to determine the
possible solutions to mitigate traffic congestion in Clifton area. Policy Testing is
considered to be an important tool in Transportation Engineering as it enables the
engineers and planners to determine the possible outcomes of various scenarios.
Generally in Policy Testing, alternate options are developed so as to analyze the
pros and cons each of the test may have, and by doing this iteratively the best
possible solutions could be proposed. This is a general practice carried out in almost
all parts of the world.
Policy Testing allows the planners and developers to test their engineering
assumptions into real-world modeling with the help of Computer Aided Tools (CAD).
Various techniques are adopted to conduct these tests such as Macro and Micro
simulation analysis. Macro simulation models evaluate traffic flow as a whole
(network) without consideration of the characteristics and features of individual
vehicles in the traffic stream. Micro simulation tools model individual vehicles in the
traffic stream and consider the features and characteristics of the individual
vehicles and use established car following logic and algorithms to predict and model
the movement of each vehicle in the traffic stream.
Travel demand forecasting is a state-of-the-art analysis tool used in the
transportation planning process / policy testing. By simulating the current roadway
conditions and the travel demand on those roadways, deficiencies in the system can
be identified. It is also an important tool in planning future network enhancements
and analyzing currently proposed projects. Travel demand models are developed to
simulate actual travel patterns and existing demand conditions. Networks are
constructed using current roadway inventory files containing data for each roadway
within the network.
Travel demand is generated using socioeconomic data such as household size,
automobile availability, and employment data. Once the existing conditions are
evaluated and adjusted to satisfactorily replicate actual travel patterns and vehicle
roadway volumes, the model inputs are then altered to project future-year
conditions. Using these inputs, the model is able to derive future capacity
limitations relative to the current roadway system. Once these deficiencies are
identified, potential improvements are evaluated by rerunning the model with an
“improved or modified” transportation system. A range of different street networks,
and even different land use patterns are tested this way. Future-year traffic
projections are based on numerous assumptions about how population,
employment, automobile operating costs, and other factors will change over time.
As such, future year-projections are only as good as the assumptions that are
made.
The results of the policy testing are quantified in terms of the Volume to Capacity
(v/c) ratio and the Level of Service (LOS).
2.1 Volume to Capacity Ratio (v/c)
The v/c ratio is a quantitative indicator of the performance of a road. It explains the
relationship between capacity (the maximum number of vehicles per unit time
which can be accommodated under given conditions with a reasonable expectation
of occurrence) available on the road to the traffic flowing on the road. The capacity
of urban roads can be affected by a wide range of factors that may not always be
accurately predicted by the road features identified. For this reason capacity flows
may be up to 10% more or less than the values given in this document.
The capacity of an urban street is defined for a single direction of travel as the
capacity of the through movement at its lowest point (usually at a signalized
intersection). The capacity is determined by the number of lanes, the saturation
flow rate per lane (influenced by geometric design and demand factors), and the
green time per cycle for the through movement at the intersection.
The potential capacity of a link will not be reached if either the capacity of junctions
along the link or the capacity of the adjoining network is lower than the link in
question. The flow on an urban road may also be affected by turning movements
restricting the mainline capacity. Such constraints should be identified at an early
stage.
Urban roads normally have higher flows in the morning and evening peaks than at
other times of day. Improving features that affect the capacity would help prevent
congestion during these periods.
Traffic flow is also affected by the speed limit, the frequency of side roads, the
degree of parking and loading, the frequency of at grade pedestrian crossings, bus
stops, and accesses.
The capacity of the lower width roads will be significantly reduced by parking and
temporary width restrictions caused by such activities as maintenance works. The
lowest widths are unlikely to be suitable for bus routes or for significant volumes of
heavy goods vehicles.
Capacity will also be affected by prevailing weather and night conditions.
The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) states that the lane capacity under free flow
conditions is 1,900 passenger cars per hour per lane (pcphpl). In Pakistan, the lane
capacity is taken as 2,200 vehicles per hour per lane due to the smaller size of
vehicles.
2.2 Level of Service (LOS)
LOS is a measure used by traffic engineers and planners to determine the
effectiveness of elements of transportation infrastructure and is closely related to
the v/c ratio. Travel speed defines LOS on urban streets. Table 2.1 classifies the
LOS criteria for urban streets.
Table 2.1: LOS Criteria
Level of
Service Traffic Flow Characteristics V/C
A
Very low delay, less than 5.0 seconds per vehicle. This occurs
when traffic progression is extremely favorable, and most
vehicles arrive during the green phase
0.0 - 0.60
B
Average delay is in the range of 5.1 to 15.0 seconds per
vehicle. This generally occurs with good traffic progression.
More vehicles stop than for LOS A
0.61 - 0.70
C
Average delay is in the range of 15.1 to 25.0 seconds per
vehicle. These higher delays may result from fair traffic
progression and /or longer signal cycle lengths. The number of
vehicles stopping is significant at this level, although some may
still pass through the intersection without stopping
0.71 - 0.80
D
Average delay is in the range of 25.1 to 40 seconds per
vehicle. The influence of congestion becomes more noticeable.
Longer delays may result from combination of unfavorable
traffic progression, longer cycle lengths, or high V/C ratios.
Many vehicles stop, and the proportion of vehicles not stopping
declines
0.81 - 0.90
E
Average delay is in the range of 40.1 to 60 seconds per
vehicle. This is considered to be the limit of acceptable delay.
These high delay values generally indicate poor traffic
progression, long signal cycle lengths, and high V/C ratios
0.91 - 1.00
F
Reflects forced flow, with an average delay in excess of 60
seconds per vehicle. This condition indicates that the
intersection has greater vehicle arrival rates than its capacity.
Poor traffic progression and long signal cycle lengths may be
major contributing causes to such long delays
> 1.00
Table 2.2 below shows the Urban Street LOS by Class. It should be noted that if
demand volume exceeds capacity at any point on the facility, the average travel
speed might not be a good measure of the LOS.
Table 2.2: Urban Street LOS by Class
Urban Street Class I II III IV
Range of Free Flow Speeds (FFS) 90 to 70
km/h 70 to 55
km/h 55 to 50
km/h 55 to 40
km/h
Typical FFS 80 km/h 65 km/h 55 km/h 45 km/h
LOS Average Travel Speed (Km/h)
A > 72 > 59 > 50 > 41
B > 56 TO 72 > 46 TO 59 > 39 TO 50 > 32 TO 41
C > 40 TO 56 > 33 TO 46 > 28 TO 39 > 23 TO 32
D > 32 TO 40 > 26 TO 33 > 22 TO 28 > 18 TO 23
E > 26 TO 32 > 26 TO 32 > 17 TO 22 > 14 TO 18
F < 26 < 21 < 17 < 14
For analysis purposes, a v/c ratio of up to 0.90 (LOS ‘D’) is acceptable. Roads /
networks performing at LOS ‘E’ or ‘F’ are considered failed and improvements are
required in order to mitigate the effects of congestion and thereby improve traffic
flows.
3.0 EXISTING ROAD NETWORK
3.1 Major Roads
Clifton and DHA traffic are provided access through many major and minor streets.
The number of lanes in each direction of traffic range from 2 to 4. The intersection
control in Clifton area is through either signalized intersections or through traffic
circles. Some of the major roads and their key engineering characteristics are
presented below.
3.1.1 Shahrah-e-Firdausi
Shahrah-e-Firdausi is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median. On
the east, this road starts from A. T. Naqvi Roundabout and ends at Bilawal
Chowrangi, after which it converts to Dr. Zaiauudin Ahmad Road. Beyond At Naqvi
Roundabout, this road converts to 26th Street, which is one of the major entry /
exit points of DHA. This road is approximately 1.25 km in length.
Abdullah Shah Ghazi Mazar, Park Towers Shopping Center, South City Hospital and
Bar-B-Q Tonight are some of the major traffic attractors on this road. Additionally,
it is one of the major routes to access Grammar School and Beach front, thereby
attracting high traffic during the weekdays and weekends.
3.1.2 Shahrah-e-Iran
Shahrah-e-Iran is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median varying
from 2-4 meters. The road starts at Shahrah-e-Firdausi to the south and ends at II
Talwar Roundabout. This road is approximately 1 km in length. Park Towers
Shopping Center, Convent Jesus and Mary, SZABIST University and Deputy High
Commission of the United Kingdom is located on this road.
3.1.3 Old Clifton Road
Old Clifton Road is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median varying
from 2-4 meters. The road starts at Shahrah-e-Firdausi to the south and ends at II
Talwar Roundabout. This road is approximately 1.25 km in length. Mohatta Palace,
Driving License office are some of the major attractions located off this road.
3.1.4 Shahrah-e-Attar
Shahrah-e-Attar is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median 4 meters
wide. The road starts at Sea View Road to the south and ends at AT Naqvi
Roundabout. This road is approximately 750 m in length. This road is one of the
major accesses to the Beach Front and DHA. The Russian Consulate and many
businesses are located on this road.
3.1.5 Sea View Road
Sea View Road is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median 4 meters
wide. The road starts extends upto Khayaban-e-Saadi to the west and runs along
the beach. This road is approximately 12 km long. This road is one of the major
accesses to the Beach Front and DHA. Dolmen Shopping Center, Beach View Club,
Ibn-e-Qasim Park, Beach Front, Cineplex and MCDonalds are some of the major
traffic generators on this road.
3.1.6 26th Street
26th Street is a six (6) lane bi-directional road with a central median 2 meters
wide. The road extends from Shahrah-e-Firdausi to the west and runs through DHA
to the east. The road is approximately 9 km long. 26th Street services the
residential population of DHA Phase 6 and 8 and is one of the major access routes
to/from DHA. Several shopping areas, schools and offices are located on this road.
3.1.7 Zamzama Boulevard
Zamzama Boulevard is a four (4) lane bi-directional road separated by curb stones.
The road starts from 2 Talwar Roundabout to the west and runs through DHA to the
east where it ends at DHA Country and Golf Club. This road is approximately 9 km
long with several signalized and unsignalized traffic controls at major junctions.
Zamzama Boulevard services the residential population of DHA Phase 4, 5 6 and 8
and is one of the major access routes to / from DHA. Several shopping centers and
offices are located on this road. It is also the main access to Naval Residential
Colony.
3.1.8 Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Khayaban-e-Shujaat is a major road access point to and from DHA. The road
extends from 3rd Zamzama Street and ends at Sea View Road in DHA Phase 8. This
road services the population of DHA Phase 5, 6 and 8. It also provides alternate
access to Neelum Colony. Khayaban-e-Shujaat is a four (4) lane bi-directional road
separated central curb and is approximately 8.5 km long.
3.1.9 Gizri Road
Gizri Road provides major access point to and from DHA from Clifton through
Khayaban-e-Roomi and Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road. Gizri Road
connects Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road and Khayaban-e-Hafiz on the
same alignment while passing through the Gizri Commercial area and PNS Haider
establishment of Pakistan Navy (PN). Gizri Road has four lanes (2 in each direction)
working as Service Roads to access the Gizri commercial area, P&T Colony and
nearby localities while a four-lane flyover connecting the intersection the Punjab
Chowrangi with Khayaban-e-Hafiz in DHA runs through the center of the road
alignment. This road is approximately 2 km long.
3.1.10 Khayaban-e-Iqbal
Khayaban-e-Iqbal is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated with curb stones.
The road starts from II Talwar Roundabout and turns into Abdullah Haroon Road
near the Clifton Bridge. This road is approximately 2 km long. Khayaban-e-Iqbal is
the major entry / exit point to Clifton area. Several businesses, commercial arcades
and residential areas are located on and off this road.
3.1.11 Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road
This is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated with curb stones. The road starts
from Submarine Chowrangi in Clifton Cantonment and merges into Dr. Ziauddin
Ahmed Road. This road is approximately 2.75 km long. Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-
Zaman Road is one of the major entry / exit point to Clifton area. Several
businesses, commercial centers and residential areas are located on and off this
road, including the Sindh Chief Minister house.
3.1.12 Khayaban-e-Saadi
Khayaban-e-Saadi is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated by a 4 meter
median. The road starts from Sea View Road to the south and ends at Khayaban-e-
Roomi to the north. This road is approximately 2 km long. Khayaban-e-Saadi is the
major entry / exit point to Clifton area. Several businesses, commercial arcades
and residential areas are located on and off this road.
3.1.13 Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated by a 1-2 meter
median. The road extends from Khayaban-e-Roomi to the west and ends at Korangi
Road. This road is approximately 2 km long. Sunset Boulevard is one of the major
entry / exit point to Clifton and DHA areas. This road’s traffic mix consists of private
vehicles and heavy vehicles which access this corridor to / from the Karachi Port.
3.1.14 Khayaban-e-Roomi
Khayaban-e-Saadi is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated by a 2-4 meter
median. The road starts from M.T. Khan Road to the west and converts into Sunset
Boulevard at the junction of Gizri Boulevard. This road is approximately 5 km long.
Many major residential, commercial and shopping centers such as GOR, The Forum
Shopping Mall, Boat Basin and Gizri Commercial Center are located along this
corridor. Khayaban-e-Roomi’s traffic mix consists of private vehicles and heavy
vehicles which access this corridor to / from the Karachi Port.
3.1.15 M. T. Khan Road
M. T. Khan Road is a six (6) lane bi-directional road separated by a central curb.
The road starts from Jinnah flyover and converts in to Club Road at the junction of
PIDC intersection. This road is approximately 3 km long. This road is one of the
major accesses to the Karachi Port. Mai Kolachi bypass near the new US Consulate
ends at this road. Many businesses, clubs, residential complexes and port related
businesses are located in this road. This road carries heavy traffic from the port up
to the Mai Kolachi bypass and vice versa.
3.1.16 Club Road
Club Road is a four (4) lane undivided road connecting Shahrah-e-Faisal with M. T.
Khan Road. The road starts at the intersection of Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad Road / M. t.
Khan Road to the south and ends at Hotel Metropole to the north. This road is
approximately 1 km long. Several important landmarks such as the PIDC house,
Sheraton, Pearl Continental, Chief Secretary House, Karachi Gymkhana and Hotel
Metropole are situated along this road.
3.1.17 Korangi Road
Korangi Road is a major arterial connecting Shahrah-e-Faisal to the Korangi and
Landhi Industrial areas. Korangi Road is an eight (8) lane bi-directional road
separated by a 1-2 meter median and is approximately 7 km long. Korangi Road is
one of the major entry / exit point to Clifton and DHA areas. Freight traffic accesses
Korangi Road from the Korangi and Landhi Industrial areas and utilizes Sunset
Boulevard for onward journey to the Karachi Port and vice versa.
3.2 Data Collection
In order to create base conditions (existing traffic network performance), several
traffic surveys were conducted as well as reviewing available traffic and socio-
economic data.
3.2.1 Turning Movement Counts
Fresh turning movement counts were conducted at several locations. Traffic counts
from previous studies were also reviewed as secondary data. The turning
movement count intersections are:
Shahrah-e-Firdausi / Shahrah-e-Iran
Shahrah-e-Firdausi / Shahrah-e-Attar Shahrah-e-Firdausi / Khayaban-e-Saadi
Khayaban-e-Saadi / Khayaban-e-Roomi II Talwar Roundabout III Talwar Roundabout
Sea View Road / Khayaban-e-Shamsheer Sea View Road / Khayaban-e-Saadi
Korangi Road / Sunset Boulevard
3.2.2 Mid-Block Counts
Mid-block traffic counts were conducted / reviewed at the following locations to
calibrate the model.
Shahrah-e-Firdausi between Park Towers and Bilawal Roundabout Khayaban-e-Roomi between Boat Basin and Schon Circle
Korangi Road between Sunset Boulevard and Khayaban-e-Ittehad Khayaban-e-Iqbal between Schon Circle and III Talwar Roundabout
Khayaban-e-Iqbal between Schon Circle and II Talwar Roundabout Sea View Road between Dolmen Mall and McDonalds’
3.2.3 Travel Speed Surveys
Travel speed is an indicator of the road performance. Lower travel speeds relate to
congested conditions on the road network. Travel speed surveys were conducted /
reviewed at the following locations.
Shahrah-e-Firdausi between AT Naqvi Roundabout and Bilawal Roundabout Khayaban-e-Roomi between Boat Basin and Gizri Boulevard
Korangi Road between Sunset Boulevard and Khayaban-e-Ittehad Khayaban-e-Iqbal between II Talwar and III Talwar Roundabout
Khayaban-e-Saadi between Sea View Road and Boat Basin Sea View Road between Khayaban-e-Saadi and Khayaban-e-Shamsher
4.0 TRAVEL DEMAND MODELING
Fulfillment of objectives as previously discussed in Section 1.1 required modeling of
traffic in network zone. The macro level traffic modeling was required to look into at
the area in a larger perspective i.e. identification of roads in Clifton which are
severely affected because of traffic generated by various establishments. For this
purpose Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) traffic modeling software
named STRADA was used. JICA STRADA is software consisting of various modules
compatible with each other. Each of these modules has their specific functions
during demand modeling exercise. Figure 4.1 highlights the concept of demand
modeling.
Figure 4.1: Concept of Demand Modeling
The macroscopic level modeling required several steps to be performed. This
section covers details of these steps sequentially.
4.1 Network Development
The first step for modeling is development of a network. All travel demand models
consider two different types of networks, namely highway or road network and
transit network.
The highway or road network represents roads and streets. The highway network
consists of Links and Nodes. Furthermore certain attributes of each links are also
required. The details of attributes used and its mechanism for estimation are
discussed in later parts of this section.
The transit network represents routes of public transport (like buses, minibuses,
Coaches, etc) in the network. Each Transit Line (a polyline) reflects a public
transport route along with its attributes as average operating speed and headway.
However in this project only highway network was considered for assignment. This
is mainly because usually transit routes have long lengths and hence fewer roles in
traffic impacts of buildings. Figure 4.2 depicts the two networks.
Figure 4.2: Highway and Transit Networks
The road network used in the project was taken from JICA Future Traffic Demand
Study performed in 2008. However, the network had few roads missing in the
project vicinity and those were added using Digital Globe Satellite Image (from
Google Earth).
The image from Google Earth was at first, geo-referenced on actual geographic
coordinates. Afterwards roads of the geo-referenced map were digitized keeping all
classifications in one layer however maintaining road classification as attribute. This
entire work was performed in GIS software named MapInfo Professional and later
on converted to STRADA Network for traffic assignment. Figure 4.3 show views of
network developed.
Figure 4.3: Portion of Karachi Network along with Blown up view of Roads in Project Vicinity
The highway network was then classified according to the road types based on their
road configuration. Each road on highway network had a number of links and every
link is between two intersections. Once network was built, the next steps were to:
Develop association between Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs) and STRADA highway
network. Assign road attributes to each link on the network for traffic assignment.
Each TAZ was examined from traffic generation point view and location(s) i.e. Zone
Centroid was selected for each TAZ. Conceptually, a zone centroid is considered as
a point on the network that is responsible for distributing generated / attracted
traffic from TAZ to the network.
In order to develop connections between each zone centroid and network, special
links (named centroid links) were selected. Therefore some of links of local streets
were classified as Centroid Links. These links play a crucial role during network
calibration and traffic assignment as these links transfer OD matrix on to network.
Karachi
Northern
Bypass
RCD
Highway
Link
Road
M-9
SHAHRAH-E-FAISAL
4.2 Network Attributes
As previously discussed network attributes are essentially needed for transferring
OD results on to highway network. The attributes help in determining requisite
share of each link on networks for its share of traffic during capacity restraint
incremental traffic assignment process.
The network attributes used for the network were taken from JICA’s Future Traffic
Demand Forecasting Study of Karachi, 2008 however the attributes were updated
wherever city network has improved since 2008.
Traffic assignment in JICA STRADA needs following attribute data:
Maximum Operating Speed (termed as Vmax) Road Capacity (termed as Qmax)
Road Classification
Table 4.1 presents attributes used for each road classification on the network.
Highway Capacity Manual (Special Report 209, Transport Research Board) was used
for capacity calculation.
Table 4.1: Road Attributes for Road Classifications
Type of
Facility
Urban
Street
Class
Speed
Vmax Width
factor LANE
Parking
factor OPERATION MEDIAN CLASS
SUB
CLASS HVY_VEH
Qmax
(KMP) (PCUs
/ Hr)
Expressway - Above
90
0.933 2 1 1 No 1 1 0.99949 4,196
0.933 2 1 2 No 1 1 0.99949 8,393
0.933 2 1 2 Yes 1 1 0.99949 8,393
Major
arterial
High-Speed 75-90
0.933 2 1 2 No 2 1 0.994377 7,793
0.933 2 1 2 Yes 2 1 0.994377 7,793
Suburban 65-75
0.933 2 1 2 No 2 2 0.998784 7,082
0.933 2 1 2 Yes 2 2 0.998784 7,082
0.933 2 0.5 2 Yes 2 2 0.998784 3,541
0.933 3 1 2 Yes 2 2 0.998784 10,623
Intermediate 50-65
0.933 2 1 1 No 2 3 0.999392 3,170
0.933 2 0.5 1 No 2 3 0.999392 1,585
0.933 2 1 2 Yes 2 3 0.999392 6,341
0.933 2 0.5 2 Yes 2 3 0.999392 3,170
0.933 3 1 1 No 2 3 0.999392 4,755
0.933 3 1 2 Yes 2 3 0.999392 9,511
0.933 3 0.667 2 Yes 2 3 0.999392 6,341
0.933 4 1 2 Yes 2 3 0.999392 12,681
Link
Road
0.933 4 0.75 2 Yes 2 3 0.999392 9,511
Urban 40-55
0.933 2 1 1 No 2 4 0.99951 2,425
0.933 2 0.5 1 No 2 4 0.99951 1,212
0.933 2 0.5 2 No 2 4 0.99951 2,425
0.933 2 1 2 Yes 2 4 0.99951 4,849
0.933 2 0.5 2 Yes 2 4 0.99951 2,425
0.933 3 1 1 No 2 4 0.99951 3,637
0.933 3 0.667 1 No 2 4 0.99951 2,425
0.933 3 1 2 No 2 4 0.99951 7,274
0.933 3 0.667 2 No 2 4 0.99951 4,849
0.933 3 1 2 Yes 2 4 0.99951 7,274
0.933 3 0.667 2 Yes 2 4 0.99951 4,849
0.933 4 1 1 No 2 4 0.99951 4,849
0.933 4 0.75 1 No 2 4 0.99951 3,637
0.933 4 1 2 Yes 2 4 0.99951 9,698
0.933 4 0.75 2 Yes 2 4 0.99951 7,274
Minor
arterial
Suburban 65-75
0.933 2 1 2 No 3 2 0.998784 7,082
0.933 3 1 2 No 3 2 0.998784 10,623
0.933 3 1 2 Yes 3 2 0.998784 10,623
0.933 3 0.667 2 Yes 3 2 0.998784 7,082
Intermediate 50-65
0.933 2 1 2 Yes 3 3 0.998548 6,335
0.933 2 0.5 2 Yes 3 3 0.998548 3,168
0.933 3 1 2 Yes 3 3 0.998548 9,503
0.933 3 0.667 2 Yes 3 3 0.998548 6,335
Urban 40-55
0.933 2 1 1 No 3 4 0.998909 2,423
0.933 2 0.5 1 No 3 4 0.998909 1,212
0.933 2 1 2 No 3 4 0.998909 4,846
0.933 2 0.5 2 No 3 4 0.998909 2,423
0.933 2 1 2 Yes 3 4 0.998909 4,846
0.933 2 0.5 2 Yes 3 4 0.998909 2,423
0.933 3 1 1 No 3 4 0.998909 3,635
0.933 3 0.667 1 No 3 4 0.998909 2,423
0.933 3 1 2 No 3 4 0.998909 7,269
0.933 3 0.667 2 No 3 4 0.998909 4,846
0.933 3 1 2 Yes 3 4 0.998909 7,269
0.933 3 0.667 2 Yes 3 4 0.998909 4,846
0.933 4 1 1 No 3 4 0.998909 4,846
0.933 4 0.75 1 No 3 4 0.998909 3,635
0.933 4 1 2 Yes 3 4 0.998909 9,693
Source: Future Traffic Demand Forecast Study for Karachi by JICA 2008
4.3 Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ)
The base OD matrix used in the project was taken from Future Traffic Demand
Forecast Study of Karachi by JICA, therefore similar traffic analysis zones were
considered. The JICA study considered 130 internal and 5 external zones in Karachi.
The basis of these internal zones was taken from Union Councils (UC).
There are 178 UC and 6 cantonment areas in Karachi the JICA study considered
these all and after combining some of these based on their trip contribution
developed 130 internal traffic zones. These are considered as Traffic Analysis Zones
(TAZ) in this study.
4.4 Model Calibration
An important task of the model development process is the calibration of base
model. It is an essential requirement that the model can accurately reflect current
conditions and travel behavior. Only a realistic representation of the existing
conditions allows for a robust prediction of future conditions and a reliable
evaluation of future demand.
In the calibration, link volumes that can be estimated as assignment result on the
current road network are compared with the actual value that was observed by the
surveys. Several indicators were applied to assess the difference between modeled
values and observed values.
Actual traffic volume counted at a designated location was compared with
estimated (assigned) traffic volume on the corresponding link by JICA STRADA. A
graph between observed and estimated traffic volumes in Passenger Car Units
(PCUs) was plotted and is shown in Figure 4.4 and calibration parameters were
calculated.
Figure 4.4: Network Calibration
Six locations as mentioned in Table 4.2 were used for network calibration. A
common tolerance for correlation coefficient (r2) was 0.91 and CRMSD was found to
be 0.37. The calculation results were found within tolerable limits.
Table 4.2: Locations for Network Calibration
S.
No. Location Name
Link ID in
STRADA
1. Near McDonald’s Sea View L1208
2. Korangi Road near Akhtar Colony L661
3. Opposite Park Towers L1214
4. Near III Talwar L1097
5. Near Khadda Market L669
6. Sunset Boulevard near Punjab Colony L1199
5.0 EXISTING ROAD NETWORK PERFORMANCE (BASE
CASE)
Shahrah-e-Firdausi, Khayaban-e-Saadi, Zamzama Boulevard and some other major
streets are operating within acceptable LOS. Khayaban-e-Roomi (from M. T. Khan
Road to Punjab Chowrangi) exhibits excessive delays. Khayaban-e-Iqbal (from II
Talwar to Hotel Metropole) also experiences severe congestion. Excessive delays
are also witnessed on Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Road.
The existing road network performance based on LOS and v/c ratio is given in Table
5.1 below.
Figure 5.1: Existing v/c ratios on Study Area Roads
Do Talwar
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
5.1 Performance of Shahrah-e-Firdausi
Shahrah-e-Firdausi between Bilawal Chowrangi and Park Towers is performing
under capacity with the v/c ration at 0.56 (LOS ‘A) as shown in Table 5.1. The
section between Park Towers and A. T. Naqvi Roundabout experiences minimum
delays with the v/c ratio at 0.23 (LOS ‘A), reflecting a practical spare capacity of
77% over the weekdays.
Table 5.1: Shahrah-e-Firdausi Existing Network Performance
5.2 Performance of Shahrah-e-Iran
The network performance on Shahrah-e- Iran from II Talwar to Park Towers
indicates that the v/c ratio ranges from 0.15 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.76 (LOS ‘C) as shown in
Table 5.2. The v/c of 0.76 (LOS ‘C’) is experienced at the intersection of II Talwar.
This road has practical spare capacity for future traffic increases.
Table 5.2: Shahrah-e-Iran Existing Network Performance
5.3 Performance of Old Clifton Road
Old Clifton Road from II Talwar to Park Towers is an under-utilized. The v/c ratio of
the existing conditions is 0.1 (LOS ‘A’).
5.4 Performance of Zamzama Boulevard
The model results show that Zamzama Boulevard operates within capacity between
II Talwar and Khayaban-e-Shamsheer. V/c ratio on Zamzama Boulevard segment
from Do Talwar to Khayaban-e-Shamsheer is 0.37 (LOS ‘A’) as shown in Table 5.3.
However, Zamzama Boulevard is the busiest commercial area of DHA. On street
parking and frequent stopping maneuvers increase delays reduce the effective
capacity of the road and increases delays.
Table 5.3: Zamzama Boulevard Existing Network Performance
5.5 Performance of Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Khayaban-e-Shujaat from II Talwar to 26th Commercial Street operates at v/c 0.41
(LOS remaining ‘A’). However, certain segments of the road operate at v/c ration of
0.67 (LOS ‘B’) as shown in Table 5.4.
Table 5.4: Khayaban-e-Shujaat Existing Network Performance
5.6 Performance of Gizri Road
Gizri Road between Submarine Chowk and Khayaban-e-Shamsheer experiences
significant delays with the v/c ratio reaching up to 1.43 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table
5.5. The flyover on Gizri Road performs under capacity. However, the delays are
more pronounced at the Submarine Chowk signalized intersection.
Table 5.5: Gizri Road Existing Network Performance
5.7 Performance of Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road
Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road from Ziauddin Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi operates
at a LOS ‘A’ with the v/c ratio being 0.40 as shown in Table 5.6. The road has
effectively 60% of spare capacity for future increase in traffic.
Table 5.6: Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road Existing Network Performance
5.8 Performance of Khayaban-e-Iqbal
Khayaban-e-Iqbal between the Schon Circle underpass and Sind Club experience
heavy delays. The v/c ratio on various segments of the road ranges from 1.24 (LOS
‘F’) to 2.45 (LOS ‘F) as shown in Table 5.7. Significant delays are experienced at
the III Talwar intersection. The section between the Schon Circle underpass and
Clifton Bridge has a reduced right-of-way due to on street parking, which reduces
the effective road capacity and increases congestion.
Table 5.7: Khayaban-e-Iqbal Existing Network Performance
5.9 Performance of Moulvi Tamizuddin (MT) Khan Road
Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road exhibits excessive delays from the US Consulate to
Sind Club with the v/c ratio reaching nearly 3 (LOS ‘F’) in the existing conditions as
shown in Table 5.8. This is primarily due to the two lane bridge (one lane in each
direction) connecting the new US Consulate to PIDC intersection. The PIDC
intersection having been signalized creates a bottleneck for the traffic approaching /
leaving the intersection. Additionally, the plying of freight vehicles from the Port
and nearby go downs adds significantly to the traffic congestion.
5.10 Performance of Mai Kolachi Bypass
The existing v/c ratio on Mai Kolachi Bypass from the new US Consulate to Boat
Basin is 1.2 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 5.8. This is primalrily due to the presence
of freight vehicles who use this route to reach the Karachi Port from Korangi and
Landhi Industrial areas.
5.11 Performance at Khayaban-e-Roomi
Khayaban-e-Roomi section from Boat Basin to KESC head office experiences
significant delays with the v/c ratio nearing 1.1 (LOS ‘F), thereby depicting
saturation. Since this road is an extension to Mai Kolachi Bypass, the freight traffic
causes severe congestion on this road, especially at junctions of Boat Basin,
Submarine Chowk and KESC head office. The road capacity on links between the
intersections is sufficient to cater to the existing traffic demand. Table 5.8 shows
the existing network performance.
5.12 Performance of Sunset Boulevard
Khayaban-e-Roomi becomes Sunset Boulevard at the intersection of KESC head
office. Between KESC head office and Defence Mor intersection with Korangi Road,
the road operates at a LOS of ‘C’ with the v/c ratio at 0.73 as shown in Table 5.8.
Sunset Boulevard has practical spare capacity; however the presence of signalized
intersections increases congestion.
5.13 Performance of Korangi Road
Korangi Road carries a high number of traffic, both private vehicles and freight
traffic. Korangi Road between Defence Mor and Qayyumabad flyover experiences
severe congestion due to the presence of heavy traffic on this route. Heavy traffic
coming from the Korangi / Landhi industrial area travels to the Karachi Port and
vice versa through the Defence Mor intersection. Korangi Road is also a major bus
route, which reduces the network performance due to excessive stops. The existing
v/c ratio on Korangi Road ranges from 1.25 (LOS ‘F’) to 1.75 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in
Table 5.8.
5.14 Performance of Club Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal
Club Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal between Hotel Mehran and Hotel Metropole
experiences significant delays in the existing conditions with v/c ratios reaching up
to 6.92 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 5.8. The delays are primarily caused at the
intersection at PIDC and at Hotel Metropole, which results in increased delays.
Table 5.8: Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass,Khayaban-e-Roomi, Sunset Boulevard,
Korangi Road, Club Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal Existing Network Performance
5.15 Performance of Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road
Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road experiences severe delays between PIDC
House to Submarine Chowk. The existing v/c ratio on sections of this corridor
ranges from 1.0 (LOS ‘F’) to 1.83 (LOS ‘F) as shown in Table 5.9. The significant
delays are caused at the intersections of PIDC and at Submarine Chowk.
Table 5.9: Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Existing Network Performance
6.0 ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT
The existing road network in and around Clifton area exhibits severe delays /
congestion on many routes as seen in Figure 5.1. In order to mitigate the
congestion and provide smooth traffic flow, various alternatives were modeled. This
chapter discusses in detail the various alternate policy tests that were conducted for
this particular project, how they were performed and what results have come out
from these tests. Since the focus of this exercise is network (area wise) modeling,
therefore only macro simulation technique is used for analyzing the future
scenarios.
Different Policy Tests were designed to analyze the traffic conditions in the vicinity
of DHA and Clifton. The main objective behind this entire exercise is to investigate
the conditions on the entry/exit corridors of DHA and Clifton, as it is very important
to provide smooth and uncongested path to the residents of DHA and Clifton. A
comparison analysis was also carried out between the various Policy tests and the
base case which would depict an actual picture of the future conditions on the road
network.
Several assumptions were made in conducting these policy tests. In all the Policy
testing scenarios one assumption was common, i.e. the infrastructure development
projects mentioned in the DHA Master Plan 2020 will be executed within the
stipulated time. Each successive strategy modeled built upon the results of the
previous strategy, i.e. deficiencies in network performance of one or more
segments in a particular strategy were kept in mind while preparing the next
strategy.
Table 6.1 below shows a list of Policy test that were carried out to evaluate the
possible solutions for smooth entry/exit scenarios in DHA & Clifton areas. All tests
are discussed in greater detail in later part of this chapter.
Table 6.1: Description of Policy Tests
S.
No.
Policy Test
ID Description
1. 1 Making Shahrah-e-Firdousi one-way between A.T. Naqvi Roundabout and
Bilawal Chowrangi
1a Traffic to flow from A. T. Naqvi to Bilawal Chowrangi
1b Traffic to flow from Bilawal Chowrangi to A. T. Naqvi
1c Split level traffic flow between A. T. Naqvi to Bilawal Chowrangi
2. 2 Making Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road, Abdullah Haroon Road
& Khayaban-e-Iqbal Road one-way
2a Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road to carry Outbound Traffic
from DHA and Khayaban-e-Iqbal (between Schon Circle & Clifton
Bridge) and Abdullah Haroon Road (between Clifton Bridge &
Metropole Hotel) to carry Inbound Traffic to DHA
2b Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road to carry Inbound Traffic
from DHA and Khayaban-e-Iqbal (between Schon Circle & Clifton
Bridge) and Abdullah Haroon Road (between Clifton Bridge &
Metropole Hotel) to carry Outbound Traffic from DHA
3. 3 One-way Traffic on Shahrah-e-Firdousi (i.e. traffic to flow from A. T. Naqvi
to Bilawal Chowrangi) and Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road to
carry Outbound Traffic from DHA and Khayaban-e-Iqbal (between Schon
Circle & Clifton Bridge) and Abdullah Haroon Road (between Clifton Bridge
&Metropole Hotel) to carry Inbound Traffic to DHA
4. 4. Grade separations at the following intersections:
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence More
Akhtar Colony
Park Tower
5. 5. Grade separations at the following intersections:
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence More
Akhtar Colony
Park Tower
Along with a bridge connecting Old Clifton Road & Khayaban-e-
Shujaat
6. 6. Grade separations at the following intersections:
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence More
Akhtar Colony
Park Tower
Bridge connecting Old Clifton Road & Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Along with widening of M. T. Khan Road & grade separations at
PIDC Intersection
Hotel Mehran Intersection
6.1 Policy Test 1
In this Policy test, Shahrah-e-Firdousi was modeled as one way road in either
direction separately so that the Right-of-Way (ROW) for uni-directional traffic is
doubled.
6.1.1 Strategy A
In this strategy, the traffic was modeled to move from AT Naqvi Chowrangi to
Bilawal Chowrangi in one direction with only one junction at Park Towers as shown
in Fig 6.1.
Figure 6.1: One way traffic on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from A.T. Naqvi
Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi
BilawalChowrangi
Park Tower
A.T. Naqvi
BTIT
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
26th
Street
Figure 6.2 and 6.3 show the volume to capacity ratios before and after the
implementation of Strategy A.
S.
No.
Policy Test
ID Description
7. 7 Grade separations at the following intersections:
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence More
Akhtar Colony
Park Tower
Along with widening of M. T. Khan Road & grade separations at
PIDC Intersection
Hotel Mehran Intersection
Figure 6.2: Existing v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from A.T. Naqvi
Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi
BilawalChowrangi
Park Tower
A.T. Naqvi
BTIT
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
Do Talwar
26th
Street
Figure 6.3: v/c ratio after implementing Strategy 1-A
BilawalChowrangi
Park Tower
A.T. Naqvi
BTIT
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
Do Talwar
26th
Street
Performance of Shahrah-e-Firdausi
From the results of the Macro simulation model, it was found that the existing v/c
ratio at Shahrah-e-Firdousi (between Bilawal Chowrangi and Park Towers) is 0.57
(LOS ‘A’) and after implementing strategy A, the v/c ratio comes down to 0.23
which is still LOS ‘A’. The v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdausi (between Park Towers
and AT Naqvi Chowrangi) improves from 0.23 to 0.16, which still exhibits a LOS A.
Hence it can be inferred that no substantial improvement is being observed from
this strategy.
After the implementation of Policy Test 1 (Strategy A) on the existing network of
DHA and Clifton, the v/c ratio of entire Shahrah-e-Firdousi corridor improved from
0.41 to 0.19 as shown in Table 6.2.
Table 6.2: Sharah-e-Firdousi Network Performance
The impact of making Shahrah-e-Firdausi one-way (Strategy A) exhibits worsening
v/c ratios and LOS on other segments of the road network as shown in Table 6.3.
Zamzama Boulevard, Khayaban-e-Roomi, Khayaban-e-Shujaat & E Street depict
increased v/c ratio and worsening LOS conditions.
Performance of Zamzama Boulevard
V/c ratio on Zamzama Boulevard segment from Do Talwar to Khayaban-e-Shamshir
deteriorates from 0.37 to 0.90~1.10, whereas the LOS also worsens to LOS ‘E’ from
LOS ‘A’.
Table 6.3: Zamzama Boulevard Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
Khayaban-e-Roomi segment from Boat Basin to Schon Circle exhibits practically no
change (v/c ratio from 1.10 to 1.03) and LOS ‘F’ in both the before and after
conditions. The v/c ratio on Khayaban-e-Roomi from Schon Circle to Submarine
Chowk worsens from 0.73 to 0.93) with LOS also decreasing from LOS ‘C’ to LOS
‘E’. The v/c and LOS on Khayaban-e-Roomi from Submarine Chowk to KESC Head
office shows improvement with the v/c ratio improving from 0.95 to 0.35 and LOS
improving from LOS ‘E’ to LOS ‘A’ as shown in table 6.4.
Table 6.4: Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Khayaban-e-Shujaat and E Street segment from Do Talwar (Zamzama Boulevard)
to 26th Commercial Street show no major deterioration in v/c and LOS as the v/c
ratio improves from 0.41 to 0.15 with the LOS remaining “A” in the before and after
scenarios as shown in table 6.5.
Table 6.5: Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
Apart from these roads and segments, the performance most of the road network
remains unchanged except at few places where there are minor improvements or
deteriorations in v/c and LOS.
6.1.2 Strategy B
In this scenario the traffic was modeled to move from Bilawal Chowrangi to AT
Naqvi Chowrangi in one direction with only one junction at Park Towers as shown in
Fig 6.4.
Figure 6.4: One way traffic on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from Bilawal Chowrangi to A.T.
Naqvi Chowrangi
Bilawal Chowrangi
Park Tower
A.T. Naqvi
BTIT
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
26th
Street
After the implementation of Strategy B, it was observed that the overall network
volume over capacity (v/c) ratio improved from 0.56 to 0.24. Since the Level of
Service (LOS) in this strategy remains the same in both pre and post strategy
scenarios i.e. LOS ‘A’, so it can be inferred that no significant improvement is being
observed after the implementation of this strategy on Shahrah-e-Firdausi. Figures
6.5 and 6.6 show the v/c ratios for the network in the before and after conditions.
Figure 6.5: Existing v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from Bilawal Chowrangi
to A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi
BilawalChowrangi
Park Tower
A.T. Naqvi
BTIT
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
Do Talwar
26th
Street
Figure 6.6: v/c ratio after implementing Strategy B
BilawalChowrangi
Park Tower
A.T. Naqvi
BTIT
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
Do Talwar
26th
Street
Table 6.6 shows the network performance of Shahrah-e-Firdausi for Strategy B.
Table 6.6: Shahrah-e-Firdausi Network Performance
The impact of making Shahrah-e-Firdausi one-way (Strategy B) results in
worsening v/c ratios and LOS on other segments of the road network as shown
below.
Performance of Zamzama Boulevard
The v/c ratio of Zamzama Boulevard between Do Talwar and Khayaban-e-
Shamsheer (as shown in Table 6.7) has from 0.66 to 0.97 with the LOS worsening
from LOS ‘C’ to ‘E’.
Table 6.7: Zamzama Boulevard Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
On Khayaban-e-Roomi, from Boat basin to Schon Circle segment, no substantial
change in v/c ratio was practically observed (from 1.09 to 1.00) i.e. LOS ‘F’. From
Schon Circle to Submarine Chowk, v/c ratio again remained unchanged from 0.85
to 0.85 with LOS ‘D’. However, from Submarine Chowk to KESC Head office, the v/c
ratio improved from 0.92 to 0.36 with LOS significantly improving from ‘E’ to ‘A’ as
shown in table 6.8.
Table 6.8: Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Shujaat
On Khayaban-e-Shujaat and E Street segment from Do Talwar (Zamzama
Boulevard) to 26th Commercial Street, the v/c ratio increased from 0.15 to 0.36
with LOS remaining at ‘A’ as shown in table 6.9.
Table 6.9: Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
The modeling results indicate that some of the traffic has been diverted from
Shahrah-e-Firdousi to Khayaban-e-Shujaat as the v/c ratio has increased by a small
fraction but it is still within the acceptable limits. Remaining roads in the project
influence area do not show any significant improvements / deteriorations in their
v/c and LOS characteristics and hence can be treated as practically unchanged.
6.1.3 Strategy C
In this strategy, the traffic was modeled to move in split-levels between AT Naqvi
Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi. This means that the existing Sharah-e-Firdousi
shall be developed in two levels. Each level shall carry traffic in each direction. This
way the capacity of Sharah-e-Firdousi shall be doubled. In this scenario, it is
assumed that Traffic from Bilawal Chowrangi to A. T. Naqvi shall flow under ground
(i.e. at Ground -1 Level) however traffic from A. T. Naqvi to Bilawal shall remain at
grade. This is way each direction shall have 4 lanes each for the traffic flow.
In addition, to the above this is to mentioned that at this stage this is presented as
concept and no considerations for provision of geometric design has been
considered. Therefore, the same will be needed to be considered at the detailed
design level. The concept has been presented in Figure 6.6a.
Figure 6.6a: Split-level traffic flow between A. T. Naqvi to Bilawal Chowrangi
Figure 6.7a and 6.7b show the volume to capacity ratios before and after the
implementation of Strategy C.
Figure 6.7a: Existing v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdousi from A.T. Naqvi
Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi
BilawalChowrangi
Park Tower
A.T. Naqvi
BTIT
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
Do Talwar
26th
Street
Figure 6.7b: v/c ratio after implementing Strategy 1-C
BilawalChowrangi
Park Tower
A.T. Naqvi
BTIT
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
Do Talwar
26th
Street
Performance of Shahrah-e-Firdausi
From the results of the Macro simulation model, it was found that the existing v/c
ratio at Shahrah-e-Firdousi (between Bilawal Chowrangi and Park Towers) is 0.57
(LOS ‘A’) and after implementing strategy C, the v/c ratio comes down to 0.22
which is still LOS ‘A’. The v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdausi (between Park Towers
and AT Naqvi Chowrangi) improves from 0.23 to 0.16, which still exhibits a LOS A.
After the implementation of Policy Test 1 (Strategy C) on the existing network of
DHA and Clifton, the v/c ratio of entire Shahrah-e-Firdousi corridor improved from
0.41 to 0.19 as shown in Table 6.9a.
Table 6.9a: Network Performance at Sharah-e-Firdousi
The impact of making Shahrah-e-Firdausi one-way (Strategy C) exhibits somewhat
positive results on network roads. Through the results don’t show an extraordinary
improvements thus they prove this strategy could be more effective if other
improvements are being done with this.
Performance of Zamzama Boulevard
The performance of Zamzama Boulevard shows slight improvement. Though the
improvements are very significant however, show that by adopting this strategy
along with some other improvements might prove to be effective. The results are
shown in Table 6.10a.
Table 6.10a: Zamzama Boulevard Network Performance
Road Segment
Model Parameter 2020
Model Parameter 2020 Base Case
Test 1 (C)
Link Name From To Avg.
VCR
Avg.
VCR
Zamzama Boulevard
L1177
Do Talwar Khayaban-e-Shamsher
Intersection
0.67 0.60
L1178 0.67 0.60
L1011 0.70 0.67
L1133 0.37 0.37
L1134 0.37 0.37
L1130 0.37 0.23
L1255 0.37 0.22
Performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
Khayaban-e-Roomi segment from Boat Basin to Schon Circle exhibits practically no
change (v/c ratio from 1.10 to 1.03) and LOS ‘F’ in both the before and after
conditions. The v/c ratio on Khayaban-e-Roomi from Schon Circle to Submarine
Chowk worsens from 0.73 to 0.93) with LOS also decreasing from LOS ‘C’ to LOS
‘E’. The v/c and LOS on Khayaban-e-Roomi from Submarine Chowk to KESC Head
office shows improvement with the v/c ratio improving from 0.95 to 0.35 and LOS
improving from LOS ‘E’ to LOS ‘A’ as shown in table 6.10b. This shows that
indicates that some other improvements are needed to make this strategy be
effective.
Table 6.10b: Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Khayaban-e-Shujaat and E Street segment from Do Talwar (Zamzama Boulevard)
to 26th Commercial Street show no major deterioration in v/c and LOS as the v/c
ratio improves from 0.41 to 0.15 with the LOS remaining “A” in the before and after
scenarios as shown in table 6.10c.
Table 6.10c: Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
Apart from these roads and segments, the performance most of the road network
remains unchanged except at few places where there are minor improvements or
deteriorations in v/c and LOS.
6.2 Policy Test 2
In this Policy test, several roads were modeled as one way which includes
Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road, Abdullah Haroon Road & Khayaban-e-
Iqbal so that the Right of Way (ROW) for uni-directional traffic was doubled.
6.2.1 Strategy A
As a first strategy of this Policy Test, Khayaban-e-Iqbal (Schon Circle Underpass)
from II Talwar to Abdullah Haroon Road was made one way for outbound traffic
from DHA and Clifton. For accommodating inbound traffic, Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-
Zaman Road from PIDC House to Submarine Chowk was modeled as one way in the
opposite direction to accommodate the traffic entering into DHA and Clifton. This
arrangement is shown in Figure 6.7 below:
Figure 6.7: One-way traffic from Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass (Schon Circle)
to Abdullah Haroon road (Sind Club) for outbound traffic and
Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road (PIDC House to
Submarine Intersection) for inbound traffic
Khayaban-e-
Iqbal Rd
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman
Siddiqui Rd
The implementation of this strategy shows slight improvements on the roads that
have been made one way. After modeling the roads as one way streets, it was
observed that the v/c ratio on both roads improved. Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass
(Schon Circle) v/c ratio improved significantly to 0.56 from 1.3 and PIDC flyover
exhibited marginally improved v/c ratio from 1.03 to 0.99. Since the existing v/c
ratio before the implementation of no change strategy was also LOS ‘B’ and LOS ‘F’
for the two roads respectively, therefore no practical difference is observed from
this strategy.
Modeling these roads as one way streets resulted in deterioration on some of the
other intersections, such as Do Talwar, Bilawal Chowrangi, Ziauddin Chowrangi and
Club Road.
Figure 6.8 and 6.9 show the volume to capacity ratios before and after the
implementation of Strategy 2-A.
Figure 6.8: Existing v/c ratio at Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass (Schon Circle) to
Abdullah Haroon road (Sind Club) Inbound and Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-
Zaman Siddique Road, PIDC House to Submarine Intersection Outbound.
Do Talwar
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
Figure 6.9: v/c ratio after implementing strategy 2A
Do Talwar
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
Performance of Khayaban-e-Iqbal
From the analysis of the Macro simulation model, it was found that the existing
Volume to Capacity (v/c) ratio on Khayaban-e-Iqbal was 1.34 (LOS ‘F’) and after
implementing strategy 2A, the v/c ratio came down to 0.56 (LOS ‘A’) showing
major improvement.
Performance of Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road
The existing Volume to Capacity (v/c) ratio was 1.3 (LOS ‘F’) and after
implementing strategy 2A, the v/c ratio improved marginally to 1.15 (LOS ‘F’).
Since the LOS remained at F after the implementation of this strategy, therefore no
improvement is seen.
Table 6.10 shows the before and after v/c ratios for the various segments of
Khayaban-e-Iqbal and Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road.
Table 6.10: Khayaban-e-Iqbal and Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Network
Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
Although Khayaban-e-Iqbal exhibited marked improvements in v/c and LOS after
making it one way, the some sections of Khayaban-e-Roomi deteriorated in
performance.
The v/c ratio on Khayaban-e-Roomi segment from Boat Basin to Schon Circle
improved from 1.095 (LOS ‘F’ ) to 0.81 (LOS ‘D’) and from Schon Circle to
Submarine Chowk showed marked improvements from v/c of 0.85 (LOS ‘D’) to 0.43
(LOS ‘A’) as shown in the Table 6.11.
The v/c ratio from Submarine Chowk to KESC Head office increased from an already
failing 0.92 to 1.195. The LOS in both the before and after analysis remained as ‘F’
as shown in Table 6.11.
Table 6.11: Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Performance of Shahrah-e-Iran
The network performance on Shahrah-e- Iran from II Talwar to Park Towers
deteriorated with the v/c ratio jumping from 0.15 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.88 to (LOS ‘D’) as
shown in Table 6.12.
Table 6.12: Shahrah-e-Iran Network Performance
Performance of Shahrah-e-Firdausi
Shahrah-e-Firdousi from Bilawal Chowrangi to A.T. Naqvi showed deterioration in
the road network performance with the v/c ratio increasing from 0.56 (LOS ‘A’) to
1.03 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 6.13.
Table 6.13: Shahrah-e-Firdausi Network Performance
Performance of Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road
Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road from Ziauddin Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi showed
worsening operating conditions with the v/c ratio increasing from 0.4 (LOS ‘A’) to
0.835 (LOS ‘D’) as shown in Table 6.14.
Table 6.14: Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road Network Performance
Performance levels of other roads in the network remain unchanged except from
few places where there were minor improvements or deteriorations noticed.
6.2 Strategy B
In this strategy of the Policy Test, Khayaban-e-Iqbal (Schon Circle Underpass) from
II Talwar to Abdullah Haroon Road was made one way for inbound traffic to DHA
and Clifton. For accommodating outbound traffic, Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Road
from PIDC House to Submarine Chowk was modeled as one way in the opposite
direction to accommodate the traffic existing DHA and Clifton. This arrangement is
shown in Figure 6.10 below:
Figure 6.10: One-way traffic Abdullah Haroon road (Sind Club) to from Khayaban-e-
Iqbal Underpass (Schon Circle) Outbound and Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-
Zaman Siddique Road, Submarine Intersection to PIDC House Inbound.
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
Khayaban-e-
Iqbal Rd
Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman
Siddiqui Rd
After the implementation of Strategy B, it was observed that the v/c ratio on both
one-way roads had either improved or exhibited no change. Modeling these roads
as one way streets resulted in deterioration on some of the other intersections,
such as Do Talwar, Bilawal Chowrangi, Ziauddin Chowrangi and Club Road.
Figure 6.11 and 6.12 show the volume to capacity ratios before and after the
implementation of Strategy 2-B.
Figure 6.11: Existing v/c ratio at Abdullah Haroon road (Sind Club) to Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass (Schon
Circle) Outbound and Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road, Submarine Intersection to PIDC
House Inbound.
Do Talwar
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
Figure 6.12: v/c ratio after implementing strategy 2B.
Do Talwar
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
Performance of Khayaban-e-Iqbal
Khayaban-e-Iqbal Underpass (Schon Circle) showed a negligible improvement in
v/c ratio from 1.3 (LOS ‘F’) to 1.03 (LOS ‘F’).
Performance of Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road On Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road, the v/c ratio improved significantly
from 1.03 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.5 (LOS ‘A’). Table 6.15 shows the before and after corridor
performance for Khayaban-e-Iqbal and Chaudhary Khalique-uz-Zaman Siddiqui
Road.
Table 6.15: Khayaban-e-Iqbal and Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
Although Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road exhibited marked
improvements in v/c and LOS after making it one way, some sections of Khayaban-
e-Roomi deteriorated in performance.
The v/c ratio on Khayaban-e-Roomi segment from M.T. Khan Road to Boat Basin
improved from 1.155 (LOS ‘F’ ) to 0.84 (LOS ‘D’), the segment from Schon Circle to
Submarine Chowk also showed marked improvements from v/c of 1.095 (LOS ‘F’)
to 0.77 (LOS ‘C’) as shown in the Table 6.16.
The v/c ratio from Submarine Chowk to KESC Head office worsened from an already
failing 0.92 to 1.295. The LOS in both the before and after analysis remained as ‘F’
as shown in Table 6.16.
Table 6.16: Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Performance of Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard road segment from KESC Head office to Defence Morr showed
increased v/c ratio from 0.73 (LOS ‘C’) to 0.865 (LOS ‘D’) as shown in table 6.17.
Table 6.17: Sunset Boulevard Network Performance
Performance of Shahrah-e-Iran
Shahrah-e-Iran road segment from Do-Talwar to Park Tower showed improvement
in the v/c ratio from 0.15 to 0.55, however the LOS remained ‘A’ in the before and
after analysis as shown in table 6.18.
Table 6.18: Shahrah-e-Iran Network Performance
Performance of Shahrah-e-Firdausi
Shahrah-e-Firdausi road segment from Bilawal Chowrangi to A.T. Naqvi exhibited
increased v/c ratio from 0.56 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.985 (LOS ‘E’) as shown in Table 6.19.
Table 6.19: Shahrah-e-Firdausi Network Performance
Performance of Zamzama Boulevard
Zamzama Boulevard segment from Do Talwar to Khayaban-e-Shamsheer showed
increasing v/c ratio from 0.665 (LOS ‘B’) to 1.035 (LOS ‘F’) as show in table 6.20.
Table 6.20: Zamzama Boulevard Network Performance
Performance of Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road
Dr. Ziauddin Hospital road segment from Ziauddin Hospital to Bilawal Chowrangi
exhibited increased v/c ratio from 0.4 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.89 (LOS ‘D’) as shown in Table
6.21.
Table 6.21: Dr. Ziauddin Hospital Road Network Performance
6.3 Policy Test 3
In Policy Test 3, several roads were modeled as one way to segregate the inbound
and outbound traffic by enhancing the capacities of the roads. The one way roads
modeled in this policy test include:
Shahrah-e-Firdausi (AT Naqvi Roundabout to Bilawal Roundabout)
Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road (PIDC House to Submarine
Chowk)
Khayaban-e-Iqbal (Shahrah-e-Firdausi to Abdullah Haroon Road)
The strategy of Policy Test 3 is such that the inbound and outbound traffic to and
from DHA and Clifton areas were segregated to increase the Right-of-Way (ROW) of
the existing roads to increase the overall performance of the network. Shahrah-e-
Firdausi was modeled as one way in the direction of Bilawal Roundabout from AT
Naqvi Roundabout. Khayaban-e-Iqbal was made one way from Shahrah-e-Firdausi
to Abdullah Haroon Road for outbound traffic from DHA & Clifton. Chaudhary
Khaliq-uz-Zaman road was also modeled as a one way road for inbound traffic to
DHA & Clifton up to Submarine Chowk. Figure 6.13 shows the one way modeled
roads.
Figure 6.13.: One way traffic on Shahrah-e-Firdousi (A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi), Khayaban-e-
Iqbal (Schon Circle to Abdullah Haroon Road) and Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road (PIDC House to
Submarine Intersection)
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
Bilawal Chowrangi
A.T. Naqvi
Shahrah-e-
Firdousi
Khayaban-e-
Iqbal Rd
Chowdhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman
Siddiqui Rd
Figures 6.14 and 6.15 below show the existing and future v/c ratios of the road
network. After implementation of this strategy, the results show that the network
performance of the three roads as identified above exhibit overall improvements in
the v/c ratio and LOS performance. This is primarily because by making them one
way roads, their capacities are enhanced.
Figure 6.14: Existing v/c ratio on Shahrah-e-Firdousi (A.T. Naqvi Chowrangi to Bilawal Chowrangi), Khayaban-e-
Iqbal (Schon Circle to Abdullah Haroon Road) and Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road (PIDC House to
Submarine Intersection)
Do Talwar
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection Punjab
Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
BilawalChowrangi
A.T. Naqvi
Figure 6.15: v/c ratio after implementing Policy Test 3
Do Talwar
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection Punjab
Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
BilawalChowrangi
A.T. Naqvi
Performance of Khayaban-e-Iqbal
From the analysis of the Macro simulation model, it was found that the existing
Volume to Capacity (v/c) ratio on Khayaban-e-Iqbal at Schon Circle was 1.78 (LOS
‘F’) and after implementing policy test 3, the v/c ratio came down to 1.7 (LOS ‘F’),
showing no improvement. Schon circle underpass remains a bottleneck throughout
the analysis.
Khayaban-e-Iqbal shows major improvement at Teen Talwar with the v/c ratio
improving significantly from 1.26 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.64 (LOS ‘A’). On Khayaban-e-Iqbal
between Sind Club and Teen Talwar, the v/c ratio shows improvement from 1.855
(LOS ‘F’) to 0.955 (LOS ‘E’), which is marginal in terms of improving the overall
traffic flow on the corridor.
Performance of Shahrah-e-Firdausi
At Shahrah-e-Firdousi between Bilawal Chowrangi and Park Towers intersection, the
v/c ratio before the implementation of this strategy was 0.56 with LOS ‘A’ and after
modeling, the v/c improves to 0.29, which is still LOS ‘A’.
Performance of Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddique Road
The existing Volume to Capacity (v/c) ratio between PIDC House and Submarine
Chowk was 1.28 (LOS ‘F’) and after implementing policy test 3, the v/c ratio
improved significantly to 0.6 (LOS ‘A’).
Table 6.22 shows the before and after v/c ratios for the various segments of
Khayaban-e-Iqbal, Shahrah-e-Firdausi and Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui
Road.
Table 6.22: Khayaban-e-Iqbal, Shahrah-e-Firdausi and Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road
Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
After the implementation of this strategy, the performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
shows improvement from MT Khan Road to Schon Circle with the v/c ratio
improving to 0.84 (LOS ‘D’) from 1.09 (LOS ‘F’). However, the segment from
Submarine Chowk to KESC Head office shows deterioration in road network
performance. The v/c ratio on this segment has increased from 0.9 (LOS ‘E’) to 1.3
(LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 6.23. This would result in increased traffic congestion
on this segment of the network if the said policy is implemented.
Table 6.23: Khayaban-e-Roomi Network Performance
Performance of Shahrah-e-Iran
Some sections of the road exhibited delays, however the overall network
performance on Shahrah-e-Iran from Do-Talwar to Park Towers remained the same
with the v/c ratio moving from 0.15 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.35 to (LOS ‘A’) as shown in Table
6.24.
Table 6.24: Shahrah-e-Iran Network Performance
Performance of Sunset Boulevard
Making any road as one way creates congestion on other roads as drivers alter their
route to take other shorter / quicker paths. In case of Sunset Boulevard, the v/c
ratio has increased from 0.73 (LOS ‘C’) to 0.875 (LOS ‘D’), but the overall
performance of this road still remains within acceptable limits. Table 6.25 shows the
before and after network performance on Sunset Boulevard.
Table 6.25: Sunset Boulevard Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Shamsheer
At Khayaban-e-Shamsheer (McDonalds Sea View to Saudi Consulate), the traffic
has increased due to the one way strategy. Khayaban-e-Shamsheer attracts more
traffic since it was underutilized in the base case scenario. The v/c ratio of this road
has increased from 0.5 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.82 (LOS ‘D’). The LOS ‘D’ is still within
acceptable limits of road network performance. Figure 6.26 shows the before and
after v/c ratio on Khayaban-e-Shamsheer.
Table 6.26: Khayaban-e-Shamsheer Network Performance
It can be inferred that despite the implementation of this strategy, no considerable
improvements are observed on the three major roads. Some of the other major
roads / intersections exhibit negative implications on their overall performance,
including Zamzama Boulevard, Khayaban-e-Roomi, Khayaban-e-Shujaat, Bilawal
Chowrangi, Ziauddin Chowrangi and Club Road.
6.4 Policy Test 4
Generally there are three levels for the improvement of an intersection. First is to
place a roundabout between the connecting roads, then to signalize it and
ultimately to grade separate it. Other strategies of traffic network improvements,
such as making roads one way are intermittent steps in analyzing a network. Since
grade separation is a costlier option so it comes as a last resort. It provides the
traffic with the opportunity to flow at different levels and hence reducing the delays
at the intersections. In Karachi, most of the intersections are signalized, although in
recent years, many major intersections have been grade separated.
In this Policy test, it is proposed that a few signalized intersections in the project
influence area should be grade separated to smoothen the flow of traffic at these
intersections and to reduce the delays. The need for grade separation arises from
the fact that many road corridors operate at an acceptable LOS, but the capacity
constraints at intersections cause the whole corridor to effectively fail. Following are
the intersections that were modeled as grade separated in this scenario.
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence Morr
Akhtar Colony
The above named intersections already experience significant delays during the
peak periods. These intersections are located on Sunset Boulevard and Korangi
Road. Sunset Boulevard serves as a major entry / exit corridor to and from Clifton /
DHA areas. Access to / from Sunset Boulevard is provided by Korangi Road. A
major reason for severe congestion on Sunset Boulevard and Korangi Road is the
presence of heavy traffic, which plies this route during normal working hours. This
heavy traffic travels between the Karachi Port and Korangi / Landhi Industrial areas
through Sunset Boulevard and Korangi Road. Sunset Boulevard extends from
Khayaban-e-Roomi, where Karachis first underpass was constructed at Schon Circle
to mitigate the traffic congestion.
Figure 6.16 shows the road network where grade separation is proposed as a
measure to alleviate congestion and thereby reducing delays.
Figure 6.16: Grade separation at Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor and Akhtar
Colony
Korangi Rd
Schon Circle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence Mor
Akhtar Colony
Sunset Blvd Rd
Khayaban -e-
Roomi
The modeling of grade separated structures at the four locations results in overall
improved road network performance. In the base case scenario, the performance of
the adjoining roads is such that the LOS lies between ‘C’ & ‘D’ on most of the roads
but after testing this policy, it has improved considerably and reaches up to LOS ‘B’
at some places. Figures 6.17 and 6.18 show the before and after v/c ratios at the
study area intersections / corridors.
Figure 6.17: Existing v/c ratio from Khayaban-e-Roomi Rd, Sunset Boulevard Rd, and Korangi Road
Boat
Basin
Schon
Circle
Sub Marine
Intersection
Punjab
Chowrangi
Defence
More
Figure 6.18: v/c ratio after implementing strategy of Grade separation intersection at Submarine
Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor and Akhtar Colony
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
DefenceMore
Performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi After the implementation of this strategy, the performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
shows no practical improvement or deterioration from MT Khan Road to Schon
Circle. However, the segment from Submarine Chowk to KESC Head office shows
deterioration in road network performance. The v/c ratio on this segment has
increased from 0.9 (LOS ‘E’) to 1.425 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 6.27. This would
result in increased traffic congestion on this segment of the network if the said
policy is implemented.
Performance of Sunset Boulevard
The modeling of grade separated structures on Sunset Boulevard shows no practical
improvements in the overall LOS of the road. The v/c ratio has decreased from 0.73
(LOS ‘C’) to 0.71 (LOS ‘C’).
Performance of Korangi Road
The modeling of grade separated structures on Korangi Road shows some
improvements in the overall LOS of the road between Defence Mor and
Qayyumabad. The v/c ratio has decreased from 1.78 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.75 (LOS ‘C’) on
one section while it has improved from v/c of 1.12 (LOS ‘F’) to v/c of 0.53 (LOS ‘A’)
on another section. Some sections of Korangi Road still exhibit significant delays.
Table 6.27: Khayaban-e-Roomi / Sunset Boulevard / Korangi Road Network Performance
Performance of Mai Kolachi Bypass There is overall improvement between MT Khan Road and Boat Basin with the v/c
ratios improving from 1.0 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.7 (LOS ‘B) as shown in Figure 6.28.
Table 6.28: Mai Kolachi Bypass Network Performance
Performance at Khayaban-e-Iqbal
One of the major traffic improvements can be observed at Khayaban-e-Iqbal from
Schon Circle Underpass to Sind Club. The major reason for this improvement is the
fact that most drivers would prefer to use Korangi Road via Sunset Boulevard
rather than Hotel Metropole intersection, thereby relieving Khayaban-e-Iqbal. This
in turn would reduce the traffic load on Hotel Metropole intersection, Teen Talwar
and on the Schon Circle Underpass. Since Khayaban-e-Iqbal is a heavily congested
road, an alternate route needs to be developed to ease out the load on Shahrah-e-
Faisal, especially near Hotel Metropole. Table 6.29 shows the before and after
analysis results at Khayaban-e-Iqbal.
Table 6.29: Khayaban-e-Iqbal Network Performance
Policy 4 results show improvements at many road sections in the study area. More
specifically, Khayaban-e-Iqbal, Khayaban-e-Hafiz, Khayaban-e-Roomi (MT Khan
Road to Submarine Chowk) and Gizri Boulevard show improved traffic circulations,
thereby reduces congestion.
6.5 Policy Test 5
Policy Test 4 showed improvements at many intersections / corridors. However,
there were road sections which did not exhibit any improvements, while the
performance of some sections deteriorated. Policy test 5 is an extension of Policy
Test 4. All the intersections that were modeled as grade separated in Policy Test 4
would remain as grade separated with the addition of bridge connecting Old Clifton
Road and Khayaban-e-Shujaat. The following intersections are modeled as grade
separated in this scenario as shown in Figure 6.19.
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence Morr
Akhtar Colony
Park Tower
Bridge connecting Old Clifton Road & Khayaban-e-Shujaat.
Figure 6.19: Grade separation intersection at Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi,
Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony, Park Tower & bridge connecting Old Clifton
Road to Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Do Talwar
Schon Circle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi Defence
More
New Bridge
Old Clifton
Road
Akhtar Colony
The improvements on road corridors in this scenario essentially remain the same as
in Policy Test 4. A possible reason could be that whenever a new infrastructure
improvement is executed in any urban area, new drivers are attracted to the
improved section because of which the impact of improvement diminishes to an
extent. The improvements on the entire grade separated interchanges and their
adjacent roads remain almost the same in Policy Test 4 as of Policy Test 5. Figure
6.20 and 6.21 show the existing and after v/c ratios on the study network.
Figure 6.20: Existing v/c ratio from Khayaban-e-Roomi Rd, Sunset Boulevard Rd, Korangi Road and Old Clifton Rd
Boat Basin
Schon Circle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence More
Khayaban-e-
Shujaat
Figure 6.21: v/c ratio after implementing strategy Grade separation intersection at Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony and proposed bridge at Old Clifton Rd
Boat Basin
Schon Circle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence More
New Bridge Khayaban
-e-
Shujaat
Old CliftonRoad
Performance of Mai Kolachi Bypass There is overall improvement between MT Khan Road and Boat Basin with the v/c
ratios improving from 1.0 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.77 (LOS ‘B) as shown in Figure 6.30.
Table 6.30: Mai Kolachi Bypass Network Performance
Performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
After the implementation of this strategy, the performance of Khayaban-e-Roomi
shows no practical improvement or deterioration from MT Khan Road to Schon
Circle. However, the segment from Submarine Chowk to KESC Head office shows
deterioration in road network performance. The v/c ratio on this segment has
increased from 0.9 (LOS ‘E’) to 1.425 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 6.31. This would
result in increased traffic congestion on this segment of the network if the said
policy is implemented.
Performance of Sunset Boulevard
The modeling of grade separated structures on Sunset Boulevard shows no practical
improvements in the overall LOS of the road. The v/c ratio has decreased from 0.73
(LOS ‘C’) to 0.71 (LOS ‘C’).
Table 6.31: Khayaban-e-Roomi / Sunset Boulevard Network Performance
Performance of Korangi Road
The modeling of grade separated structures on Korangi Road shows some
improvements in the overall LOS of the road between Defence Mor and
Qayyumabad. The v/c ratio has decreased from 1.78 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.75 (LOS ‘C’) on
one section while it has improved from v/c of 1.12 (LOS ‘F’) to v/c of 0.53 (LOS ‘A’)
on another section. Some sections of Korangi Road still exhibit significant delays.
Table 6.32 shows the before and after v/c ratio on Korangi Road.
Table 6.32: Korangi Road Network Performance
Performance at Gizri Road
Considerable improvement is noted on Gizri Road between Submarine Chowk and
Khayaban-e-Shamsheer as the v/c ratio has decreased from 1.43 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.25
which is Free Flow condition, i.e. LOS ‘A’. This might be mainly because of the fact
that infrastructural improvements at Khayaban-e-Shujaat have forced drivers to
divert from Gizri Road and as a result the performance of the road has improved
significantly. Figure 6.34 shows the before and after v/c ratio of Gizri Road.
Table 6.34: Gizri Road Network Performance
Performance at Khayaban-e-Iqbal
One of the major traffic improvements can be observed at Khayaban-e-Iqbal from
Schon Circle Underpass to Sind Club. The major reason for this improvement is the
fact that most drivers would prefer to use Korangi Road via Sunset Boulevard
rather than Hotel Metropole intersection, thereby relieving Khayaban-e-Iqbal. This
in turn would reduce the traffic load on Hotel Metropole intersection, Teen Talwar
and on the Schon Circle Underpass. Since Khayaban-e-Iqbal is a heavily congested
road, an alternate route needs to be developed to ease out the load on Shahrah-e-
Faisal, especially near Hotel Metropole. Table 6.33 shows the before and after
analysis results at Khayaban-e-Iqbal.
Table 6.33: Khayaban-e-Iqbal Network Performance
Performance at Khayaban-e-Shujaat
The construction of an elevated structure through Neelum Colony was expected to
alleviate congestion on Khayaban-e-Shujaat and E Street. However, as shown in
the Table 6.35 below, no significant improvements were observed despite the
infrastructure improvement in this area.
Although no significant improvements are observed at Khayaban-e-Shujaat and E
Street, the base case v/c ratio is still acceptable and shows good performance of
the road and even has the capacity to accommodate more vehicles in future. The
v/c has improved from 0.67 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.56 (LOS ‘A), which practically mean no
change. The road has enough spare capacity to accommodate more traffic in the
future.
Table 6.35: Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
Apart from the roads detailed above, no significant improvements or deteriorations
were observed on the network in the vicinity of the project.
6.6 Policy Test 6
Policy Tests 4 and 5 showed improvements at many intersections / corridors. A
detailed analysis of Policy Tests 4 and 5 reveal that the performance of the road
network is improving at most places. However, it some intersections / road
corridors were exhibiting worsening v/c ratios. This is primarily due to the fact that
the traffic is approaching the signalized junctions in lesser time after the modeling
of several grade separated structures. Policy test 6 is an extension of Policy Test 5.
In Policy Test 6, few more intersections are modeled as grade separated along with
the ones that are already being tested in Policy Tests 4 and 5.
Following are the list of intersections that are grade separated in this Policy Test as
shown in Figure 6.22.
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence Morr
Akhtar Colony
Park Tower
Bridge connecting Old Clifton Road & Khayaban-e-Shujaat
The widening of MT Khan Road is also proposed in this scenario. New intersections
that are grade separated for this Policy test are:
PIDC Intersection
Hotel Mehran Intersection
Figure 6.22: Grade separation intersection at PIDC House, Hotel Mehran, Submarine Chowk, Punjab
Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony, PIDC House, Park Towers & bridge connected
Old Clifton Road & Khayaban-e-Shujaat
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Club Road
DefenceMore
New Bridge
Old Clifton
Road
Hotel Mehran
AkhtarColony
M.T Khan Rd
After the implementation of this Policy Test, it can be seen that the traffic
management has improved significantly in entire influence area. The introduction of
two new flyovers at Hotel Mehran & PIDC has further improved the situation at
places where there were bottle necks being created by the flyovers tested in Policy
Tests 4 and 5. The flyover over Neelam Colony to provide access to 26th
Commercial Street from II Talwar seem to provide less effective solution for
internal circulation however, the same could be developed considering deterioration
of Zamzama Bouliverd in future.
The improvements on the network observed due to the implementation of grade
separated structures in Policy Tests 4 and 5 remain almost the same. The analysis
also shows considerable improvements on Mai Kolachi Road because of proposed
grade separations at PIDC and at Hotel Mehran on Shahrah-e-Faisal.
Figures 6.23 and 6.24 show the existing and after v/c ratios on the study network.
Figure 6.23: Existing v/c ratio from Khayaban-e-Roomi Rd, Sunset Boulevard
Rd, Korangi Road, M.T Khan Road and Old Clifton Rd
Boat Basin
Schon Circle
Sub Marine Intersection Punjab
Chowrangi
PIDC House
Club Road
Defence More
Hotel Mehran
Figure 6.24: v/c ratio after implementing strategy along with widening M.T. Khan
Rd, Grade separation intersection at PIDC House, Hotel Mehran,
Submarine Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony
and proposed bridge at Old Clifton Rd
Boat Basin
Schon Circle
Sub Marine Intersection Punjab
Chowrangi
PIDC House
Club Road
Defence More
New Bridge
Old Clifton
Road
Hotel Mehran
Performance at Gizri Road
Considerable improvement is noted on Gizri Road between Submarine Chowk and
Khayaban-e-Shamsheer as the v/c ratio has decreased from 1.43 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.25
which is Free Flow condition, i.e. LOS ‘A’. This might be mainly because of the fact
that infrastructural improvements at Khayaban-e-Shujaat have forced drivers to
divert from Gizri Road and as a result the performance of the road has improved
significantly. Figure 6.36 shows the before and after v/c ratio of Gizri Road.
Table 6.36: Gizri Road Network Performance
Performance at Khayaban-e-Shujaat The construction of an elevated structure through Neelum Colony is expected to
alleviate congestion on Khayaban-e-Shujaat and E Street. However, as shown in
the Table 6.37 below, not very significant improvements were observed.
Although no significant improvements are observed at Khayaban-e-Shujaat and E
Street, the base case v/c ratio is still acceptable and shows good performance of
the road and even has the capacity to accommodate more vehicles in future. The
v/c has improved from 0.67 (LOS ‘A’) to 0.5 (LOS ‘A), with practically less change.
Table 6.37: Khayaban-e-Shujaat Network Performance
Performance of Mai Kolachi Bypass There is overall improvement between MT Khan Road and Boat Basin with the v/c
ratios improving from 1.0 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.74 (LOS ‘B) as shown in Figure 6.38 as the
traffic is diverted to other routes. The analysis shows that there is practical spare
capacity available on this road to accommodate more traffic in the future.
Table 6.38: Mai Kolachi Bypass Network Performance
Performance at Khayaban-e-Iqbal
One of the major traffic improvements can be observed at Khayaban-e-Iqbal from
Schon Circle Underpass to Sind Club. The major reason for this improvement is the
fact that most drivers would prefer to use Korangi Road via Sunset Boulevard
rather than Hotel Metropole intersection, thereby relieving Khayaban-e-Iqbal. This
in turn would reduce the traffic load on Hotel Metropole intersection, Teen Talwar
and on the Schon Circle Underpass. Since Khayaban-e-Iqbal is a heavily congested
road, an alternate route needs to be developed to ease out the load on Shahrah-e-
Faisal, especially near Hotel Metropole. Table 6.39 shows the before and after
analysis results at Khayaban-e-Iqbal.
Table 6.39: Khayaban-e-Iqbal Network Performance
Performance at Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan (M. T. Khan) Road
Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road exhibited excessive delays from the US Consulate to
Sind Club with the v/c ratio reaching nearly 3 (LOS ‘F’). This is primarily due to the
two lane bridge (one lane in each direction) connecting the new US Consulate to
PIDC intersection. The PIDC intersection having been signalized created a
bottleneck for the traffic approaching / leaving the intersection. The introduction of
a grade separated structure at PIDC showed some improvements in the v/c ratio,
however as Table 6.40 indicates, the road section between the New US Consulate
and Sind Club will still operate at a LOS ‘F’.
Performance at Khayaban-e-Roomi
After the implementation of this strategy, certain sections of the road from Boat
Basin to Submarine Chowk show improvements, while some show deterioration in
road network performance. However, the segment from Submarine Chowk to KESC
Head office shows deterioration in road network performance. The v/c ratio on this
segment has increased from 0.9 (LOS ‘E’) to 1.2 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 6.40.
This would result in increased traffic congestion on this segment of the network if
the said policy is implemented.
Performance of Sunset Boulevard
The modeling of grade separated structures on Sunset Boulevard from KESC Head
office to Defence Mor shows no practical improvements in the overall LOS of the
road. The v/c ratio has insignificantly decreased from 0.73 (LOS ‘C’) to 0.71 (LOS
‘C’) as shown in Table 6.40. However, a LOS of ‘C’ means that the road is
performing without any significant delays.
Performance of Korangi Road
The modeling of grade separated structures on Korangi Road shows some
improvements in the overall LOS of the road between Defence Mor and
Qayyumabad. The v/c ratio has decreased from 1.75 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.95 (LOS ‘E’) on
one section while it improved from v/c of 1.12 (LOS ‘F’) to v/c of 0.53 (LOS ‘A’) on
another section. Some sections of Korangi Road still exhibit significant delays. Table
6.40 shows the before and after v/c ratio on Korangi Road.
Performance of Shahrah-e-Iran
The modeling of grade separated structures on Shahrah-e-Iran shows marginal
deterioration in the overall LOS of the road. The v/c ratio has increased from 0.76
(LOS ‘C’) to 0.84 (LOS ‘D’) on some sections of the road. A road operating at a LOS
‘D’ experiences higher delays, but it still functions within acceptable limits.
Performance of Old Clifton Road
Old Clifton Road from II Talwar to Park Towers is an under-utilized road. The
addition of bridge connecting II Talwar to 26th Commercial in DHA does not
deteriorate the road capacity. The v/c before the implementation of this policy test
was 0.1 (LOS ‘A’) and after the modeling of this strategy still remains at LOS ‘A’
with the v/c ratio insignificantly increasing to 0.24 as shown in Table 6.40.
Performance of Club Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal
Club Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal between Hotel Mehran and Hotel Metropole
experiences significant delays in the existing conditions with v/c ratios reaching
upto 6.92 (LOS ‘F’). The implementation of grade separated structure at Hotel
Mehran shows major improvements on this corridor, however, the LOS still remain
at F with the v/c improving to 3.07 as shown in Table 6.40.
Table 6.40: Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Khayaban-e-Roomi, Sunset Boulevard, Korangi Road,
Shahrah-e-Iran and Club Road Network Performance
Apart from all these roads no significant improvement or deterioration is observed
on the network in the vicinity of the project.
6.7 Policy Test 7
Policy Test 6 showed improvements at many intersections / corridors. A detailed
analysis of Policy Test 6 reveals that the performance of the road network is
improving at most places within the study area. However, it some intersections /
road corridors were exhibiting worsening v/c ratios. This is primarily due to the fact
that the traffic is approaching the signalized junctions in lesser time after the
modeling of several grade separated structures.
In Policy Test 7, all the intersections under consideration remain the same as of
Policy test 6. However the bridge over Neelam Colony connecting Khayaban-e-
Shujaat with 26th Commercial Street is removed from the analysis in this case. This
was modeled since the proposed bridge over Neelum Colony connecting Khayaban-
e-Shujaat with 26th Commercial Street was not mitigating congestion.
Following are the list of intersections that are grade separated in this Policy Test as
shown in Figure 6.25.
Submarine Chowk
Punjab Chowrangi
Defence Morr
Akhtar Colony
Park Tower
The widening of MT Khan Road is also proposed in this scenario. New intersections
that are grade separated for this Policy test are:
PIDC Intersection
Hotel Mehran Intersection
Figure 6.25: Grade separation intersection at PIDC House, Hotel Mehran, Submarine
Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, Akhtar Colony, PIDC House, and
Hotel Mehran.
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
DefenceMore
Hotel Mehran
AkhtarColiny
M.T. Khan Rd
After the implementation of this Policy Test with the help of macro simulation
modeling, there is no significant change in results of this policy test from Policy Test
6 which justifies that providing a bridge over Neelam Colony will not improve the
traffic circulation at entry / exit points to DHA and Clifton. The analysis further
reveals that providing a bridge over Neelum Colony would deteriorate the traffic
condition on Shahra-e-Iran.
Figures 6.26 and 6.27 show the existing and after v/c ratios on the study network
after implementation of Policy Test 7.
Figure 6.26: Existing v/c ratio from Khayaban-e-Roomi Rd, Sunset Boulevard Rd,
Korangi Road, M.T Khan Road and Club Road
Boat Basin
SchonCircle
Sub Marine Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
DefenceMore
Hotel Mehran
Figure 6.27: v/c ratio after implementing strategy along with widening M.T. Khan Rd,
Grade separation intersection at PIDC House, Hotel Mehran, Submarine
Chowk, Punjab Chowrangi, Defence Mor, and Akhtar Colony
Boat Basin
SchonCircle Sub Marine
Intersection
Punjab Chowrangi
PIDC House
Teen Talwar
Club Road
DefenceMore
Hotel Mehran
Performance at Moulvi Tamizuddin Road
Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road exhibited excessive delays from the US Consulate to
Sind Club with the v/c ratio reaching nearly 3 (LOS ‘F’) in the existing conditions.
This is primarily due to the two lane bridge (one lane in each direction) connecting
the new US Consulate to PIDC intersection. The PIDC intersection having been
signalized created a bottleneck for the traffic approaching / leaving the intersection.
The introduction of a grade separated structure at PIDC showed some
improvements in the v/c ratio, however as Table 6.41 indicates, the road section
between the New US Consulate and Sind Club will still operate at a LOS ‘F’.
Performance of Mai Kolachi Bypass There is overall improvement between MT Khan Road and Boat Basin with the v/c
ratios improving from 1.2 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.74 (LOS ‘B) as shown in Figure 6.41 as the
traffic is diverted to other routes. The analysis shows that there is practical spare
capacity available on this road to accommodate more traffic in the future.
Performance at Khayaban-e-Roomi
After the implementation of this strategy, certain sections of the road from Boat
Basin to Submarine Chowk show improvements, while some show deterioration in
road network performance. The results indicate that there is improvement in the
road network performance between Boat Basin and Schon Circle. However, the
segment from Submarine Chowk to KESC Head office shows deterioration in road
network performance. The v/c ratio on this segment has increased from 0.9 (LOS
‘E’) to 1.2 (LOS ‘F’) as shown in Table 6.41. This would result in increased traffic
congestion on this segment of the network if the said policy is implemented.
Performance of Sunset Boulevard
The modeling of grade separated structures on Sunset Boulevard from KESC Head
office to Defence Mor shows no practical improvements in the overall LOS of the
road. The v/c ratio has insignificantly decreased from 0.73 (LOS ‘C’) to 0.71 (LOS
‘C’) as shown in Table 6.41. However, a LOS of ‘C’ means that the road is
performing without any significant delays and there is practical spare capacity to
handle more traffic in the future.
Performance of Korangi Road
The modeling of grade separated structures on Korangi Road shows some
improvements in the overall LOS of the road between Defence Mor and
Qayyumabad. The overall LOS on Korangi Road between Defence Mor and
Qayyumabad shows major performance improvements with the LOS improving
from 1.33 (LOS ‘F) to 0.87 (LOS ‘D). The v/c ratio has decreased from 1.75 (LOS
‘F’) to 0.95 (LOS ‘E’) on one section while it improved from v/c of 1.12 (LOS ‘F’) to
v/c of 0.53 (LOS ‘A’) on another section. Some sections of Korangi Road still exhibit
significant delays. Table 6.41 shows the before and after v/c ratio on Korangi Road.
Performance of Club Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal
Club Road / Shahrah-e-Faisal between Hotel Mehran and Hotel Metropole
experiences significant delays in the existing conditions with v/c ratios reaching
upto 6.92 (LOS ‘F’). The implementation of grade separated structure at Hotel
Mehran shows major improvements on this corridor, however, the LOS still remain
at F with the v/c improving to 2.89 as shown in Table 6.41.
Table 6.41: Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass,Khayaban-e-Roomi, Sunset Boulevard,
Korangi Road, Club Road and Shahrah-e-Faisal Network Performance
Performance of Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road
One of the important points to note in this Policy test is that even after introducing
a flyover at PIDC, the link between PIDC House and Submarine Chowk remains
unchanged, i.e. performs at LOS ‘F’. The primary reason for this under performance
even after suggesting major improvement measures is that the volume on this road
remains very high and the traffic still remains more than the capacity of the link as
shown in Figure 6.42.
Table 6.42: Choudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman Siddiqui Road Network Performance
Performance at Khayaban-e-Iqbal
One of the major traffic improvements can be observed at Khayaban-e-Iqbal from
Schon Circle Underpass to Sind Club. The major reason for this improvement is the
fact that most drivers would prefer to use Korangi Road via Sunset Boulevard
rather than Hotel Metropole intersection, thereby relieving Khayaban-e-Iqbal. This
in turn would reduce the traffic load on Hotel Metropole intersection, Teen Talwar
and on the Schon Circle Underpass. Since Khayaban-e-Iqbal is a heavily congested
road, an alternate route needs to be developed to ease out the load on Shahrah-e-
Faisal, especially near Hotel Metropole.
The intersection performance at Teen Talwar shows improvement, however the LOS
still remains ‘F’ due to the signalized roundabout at Teen Talwar.
Table 6.43 shows the before and after analysis results at Khayaban-e-Iqbal.
Table 6.43: Khayaban-e-Iqbal Network Performance
Performance at Gizri Road
The performance of Gizri Road essentially remains the same as of Policy Test 6. The
v/c ratio between Submarine Chowk and Khayaban-e-Shamsheer has improved
from 1.43 (LOS ‘F’) to 0.25 which is Free Flow condition, i.e. LOS ‘A’. Figure 6.44
shows the before and after v/c ratio of Gizri Road.
Table 6.44: Gizri Road Network Performance
Performance at Shahrah-e-Firdausi
The implementation of this policy shows that the network performance of Shahrah-
e-Firdousi has started deteriorating with the implementation of this strategy. The
v/c ration between Bilawal Chowrangi and Park Towers has marginally deteriorated
from 0.56 (LOS ‘A) to 0.77 (LOS ‘C). The section between Park Towers and A. T.
Naqvi Roundabout shows deterioration in segment performance with the v/c
increasing from 0.23 (LOS ‘A) to 0.63 (LOS ‘B’).
Shahrah-e-Firdausi, even after the implementation of this policy test has practical
spare capacity to handle additional traffic in the future as shown in Figure 6.45.
Table 6.45: Shahrah-e-Firdausi Network Performance
The remaining roads in the network show improvements or marginal deterioration
in road network performance after the implementation of this policy test.
7.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The existing road network in and around Clifton area exhibits delays / congestion
on several road corridors and intersections. High car ownership ratio due to the
general affluence of the area and a lack of adequate public transport system cause
traffic congestion on the area roads. This trend of high motor vehicle ownership is
likely to continue in the future as there are no mass transit corridors planned for
the Clifton / DHA areas in the Transport Master Plan of Karachi, 2030.
The Clifton / DHA area has many establishments that include high attraction
shopping and commercial centers such as The Forum, Park Towers, Dolmen Mall,
The Palm, Chase and many more. Several schools, consulates and businesses are
located in the study area. Several new shopping and commercial centers are
planned in the near future which will further increase the traffic demand on the
existing road network. The road infrastructure on the other hand has not seen
much improvement, with the existing road infrastructure becoming increasing
inadequate to handle the increasing traffic demand. The lack of a proper
transportation management plan coupled with lack of proper parking facilities cause
delays and congestion on the roads.
Several routes within the Clifton area exhibit significant delays due to the presence
of freight traffic. Freight traffic to and from the Karachi Port uses Korangi Road via
M. T. Khan Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass, Khayaban-e-Roomi and Sunset Boulevard to
travel to the Korangi / Landhi Industrial areas.
In addition, many of the major accesses to DHA are from Clifton. 26th Commercial
Street, Zamzama Boulevard, Khayaban-e-Hafiz and Sea View Road are the major
accesses to DHA from Clifton. The traffic generated from residential and commercial
establishments from within DHA causes congestion on the existing Clifton road
network.
In order to mitigate the traffic problems and aid in the smooth flow of traffic in and
out of the study area, the widely used technique of Travel Demand Modeling was
utilized. Several modeling scenarios (Policy Tests) were developed as possible
measures to alleviate congestion on the existing infrastructure in order to increase
the road capacities. The effect of each policy test was compared with the existing
traffic situation within the study area. The policy testing process was designed in a
way that one policy test builds from the previous policy test. The policy tests
included designating streets as one-way, proposing grade separated structures at
intersections and adding new links to the existing road network. A total of 10
different policy tests were performed.
The results of the policy tests indicate that the traffic problems in Clifton area
should be dealt at two levels i.e. dealing with traffic calming and management
strategies for traffic entering Clifton area and policy for dealing with traffic issues
for circulation within Clifton area.
Additionally, just making existing two-way streets as one-way will not be an
efficient solution to mitigate the traffic congestion within Clifton area. Making roads
one way impacts the overall travel patterns within the study area, with effects
reaching beyond the study area under some modeling scenarios. The option of
designating some roads as one way showed that the traffic circulation within the
study area improved at some locations, while it deteriorated at many other
locations. It is therefore not recommended to make existing two way roads as one
way.
Several options for grade separating the existing at-grade intersections were also
modeled. Grade separating one intersection alleviates the delays and congestion at
the particular intersection, however, in reality, the delays are “shifted” to the next
intersection. In order to improve the traffic flow in the area as a whole, several
grade-separated structures were modeled at intersections where there are heavy
delays at present. A policy tests also included addition of a new link from
Khayaban-e-Shujaat to 26th Commercial Street over Neelum Colony.
The results of the policy tests indicate that Policy Test 7 implemented along with
Policy Test 1C and a part of Policy Test 6 exhibits the best performance results of all
the policy tests conducted. Policy Test 7 identifies several locations along the study
area for grade separations in order to reduce congestion, thereby improving traffic
flow. However Policy Test 1C suggests providing a split-level facility at Sharah-e-
Firdousi between A. T. Naqwi and Bilawal Chowrangi. Last but not least providing
connecting Old Clifton Road with Khayaban-e-Shujaat by providing a overhead
bridge over Neelum Colony as suggested in Policy Test 6 also proves to a significant
relief to traffic congestion.
The main features of the recommended policy tests described above are as follows:
Grade separation at the following intersections, along with widening of M. T. Khan
Road:
Submarine Chowk Punjab Chowrangi Defence Mor
Akhtar Colony PIDC Intersection
Hotel Mehran Intersection Park Tower (for Traffic turning Right from Do Talwar)
Bridge over Neelum Colony by connecting Old Clifton Road with Khayaban-e-
Shujat
It is possible that the above recommendations may be split into various projects to
streamline the construction of recommended solutions. The recommended
prioritization of the Clifton area network improvement is as follows.
Split Level facility at Sharah-e-Firdousi along with Interchange at Park Tower
Bridge over Neelum Colony by connecting Old Clifton Road to Khayaban-e-
Shujat.
Construction of Grade separated structures at PIDC and Hotel Mehran
intersection by KMC,
Widening of M. T. Khan between the New US Consulate and PIDC intersection
by KMC,
Ensuring that heavy traffic only plies on this route from midnight to 6 am and
banning of heavy vehicles from Mai Kolachi Bypass up to Akhtar Colony in
the future,
Construction of grade separated structures at Submarine Chowk, Punjab
Colony and Defence Mor intersections by Clifton Cantonment Board, and
Construction of grade separated structure at Akhtar Colony by KMC.
It is also recommended that a detailed study be conducted for the feasibility and
implementation framework for the recommended solution to traffic problems in
Clifton.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study “Grade Separated Traffic Improvement Plan from Park Tower Intersection to A.T. Naqvi Roundabout”
Appendix - II
Environmental Management Consultants
Appendix II : Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014