Essays

Karachi Strategic Master Plan (KSMP-2020)

The Karachi Strategic Development Plan (KSDP-2020), also called the master plan, is still in the process of finalization despite the fact that the City Council had approved the document last December.

Thus fact came to light at a consultative discussion organized by Shehri-CBE, a non-governmental organization and on December 15, 2007, the City Council, amid an opposition boycott, approved the master plan.

It was the sixth development plan being submitted for the uplift of the mega city. Since 1923, five master plan have been formulated, but none of them have been implemented because of the lack of a legal cover.

Considering the development needs of the growing population and deficiencies of the present system, the CDGK has formulated the Karachi Strategic Development Plan (KSDP-2020) under Tameer-Karachi Programme to set up a strategic framework and overall development direction for the future.

The KSDP-2020 is extended over the whole city district of Karachi, consisting of 18 administrative towns, six cantonments and the federal and provincial governments’ land-holding agencies, while the towns are territorially further subdivided into 178 union councils.

The master plan shows that the total area of the Karachi district is approximately 3,600sq.km, of which about 1,300sq km are occupied by built-up area (within 15 internal towns), while land planning and control is fragmented into 20 federal, provincial and local agencies.

KSDP-2020 stating that in the first phase, spanning over four years (2007 to 2010) development work would carried out along the eastern half of the Northern Bypass which included Taiser Town, Scheme-33. Construction of a transport and trade centre at the intersection of the RCD Highway and Northern Bypass would also be undertaken in the same phase.

In the second phase stretched over five years (2011-2015) a government offices complex would be constructed in Super Highway. Additional residential blocks, and a town centre in the Western half of the Northern Bypass, and an Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre would also be part of the development work in this phase.

In the final phase spanning over five years (2016-2020) focus would be on completing the ICT Centre and the adjacent housing schemes. The Master Plan refers to the urban land management with observation that many residential subdivisions have not been built out (a little number of housing schemes has materialized), primarily because of speculations. Since this phenomenon greatly undermines the efficiency of urban infrastructure investments, water and sewerage trunk mains must extend to new sites whereas system capacity should be upgraded to accommodate additional population, it suggests.

In the view of the traffic problems in Karachi more than 50 interchange flyovers and underpasses have been recommended to cope with traffic jams and congestion on busy thoroughfares of the metropolis.

Three underpasses and three flyovers have already been built as a part of a signal-free corridor (between site and Karsaz) while five more underpasses and flyovers are currently being constructed as part of another signal free corridor (between Nagan Chowrangi and Shahra-e-Faisal).

It also include expansion of expressways and construction of a coastal highway with links to national highways, besides upgrading more roads, constructing interchanges and bridges and extending the Northern Bypass further south to the Malir River.

The EDO said that the multiplicity of ownership, overlapping functions and lack of coordination had hampered the formulation and implementation of development plans. Keeping in view all these hindrances and obstacles, he said the CDGK has a vision of making Karachi a world class city and an attractive economic centre. He said the KSDP-2020 would have legal status under Section 40 of the Sindh local government ordinance 2001, adding that it would be mandatory for all the agencies and stakeholders (federal, provincial and local governments) in Karachi to follow the plan.

We wish that our city of lights will be facilitated by the concerned authorities under the umbrella of KSDP-2020 in the best possible manner and within few years will reach to the level of mega cities. The KSDP-2020 has all the ingredients necessary for any city to become a highly developed city. If it works according to the plan then we shall see our city a developed one. (InshAllah)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet

Internet is considered the one of the most prominent and beneficial innovation in the field of communication which has brought one of the greatest revolution in the history of mankind. As every innovation has its own remarkable advantages whereas it also has some major disadvantages but internet's advantages prevails over its disadvantages. In Internet's advantages, sharing of information is considered the one of the principal advantage because it is simply a virtual treasure trove of information.

There are different types of search engines like Yahoo and one of the giant search engine Google is at our service on the internet by which every types of information can be gotten by just using some keywords and these sharing of information helps to all those students who are working some research work on any topic. The foremost target of Internet is to make communication cheap, easy, strong and effective. By the Internet the people in the world can communicate with a person who is sitting in the other part of the world in a fraction of second easily. To make communication better different types of facilities in form of email, social websites, messenger services etc, are available freely make global to us. Entertainment is the main source of attraction for especially younger towards Internet.

Different types of entertainment like downloading games or to play online games is much common in today's youth. Visiting chat rooms or to surf the Web has become entertainment by which numerous types of music, some online games can be found. Many services in form of online banking, job seeking, purchasing tickets, hotel reservations etc, are most common on Internet because of their easily accessibility and less time consuming. Ecommerce is the concept used for any type of maneuvering, or business deals that involves transfer of information across the globe. If the Internet is the most beneficial innovation so it has some major disadvantages.

The most leading disadvantage is the theft of Personal Information because in using of online banking, social networking, online shopping where sharing of some personal information is much essential where it is much important to analyze that the method of sharing information has not any sort of vulnerabilities because by which information can be hacked and can land you in serious trouble. Spamming refers to send unwanted e-mails in bulk have become much common. It has not nay purpose just to make the Internet connection slower and less reliable.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Cell Phone

There are a bundle of advantages of cell phone. In most of them, the basic and the most important advantage is that we are always stayed connected with the entire world by a single identity. Second benefit is a SMS (Send Message Service). That service is much used because of its cheapness. In some cases people cannot make and attend a call because of any reason so this service can be used and simply SMS can be sent and received.

Cell phone can also be used to enhance any business. With the help of this technology a people can always be connected with his employees and clients and a lot of information can be shared easily, quickly and cheaply. Cell phone is vastly used for the entertainment purposes like for playing games, for capturing images through built in camera, for listening music, and even for recording videos. Some cell phone also equipped with infrared, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology, by which any data can be shared like emails, music and videos. Through Wi-Fi people are able to connect internet service at his mobile phone also. Nowadays mobile banking is also introduces by which amount can be transferred, deposited and withdrawn easily by cell phone. If there are some advantages of cell phone so there are also some disadvantages of this technology.

The most important and basic disadvantage is health effect. In using cell phone there is a microwave radiation released that directly effect on people's health. Much usage of cell phone caused a headache and brain tumor also. Its vibration effects on ear drum. It's ringing hits heart if it is put in upper pocket. Children have much danger from this radiation because children's body is more vulnerable than an adult. It more effects on their nervous system and their increases level of cell division. It's another disadvantage is that it is normally used at the time of driving that causes a severe accident.

Problems in Karachi/Life in Big Cities

All the cosmopolitan cities of the world are confronted with a number of problems. In a highly industrialized city where the pace of life is very brisk and where the spirit of competition is always alive, it is nearly impossible to find moments of leisure and pleasure. Problems keep on multiplying and one finds oneself always engaged in them. Most of the problems are related to the daily life of the common people and need to be solved at the earliest. All these civic problems can be solved only through the active and meaningful cooperation of the people, the local administration and the concerned authorities. Karachi being the heart of the country and the largest city of Pakistan is also faced with many problems.

Among the basic necessities of life, one always stand in need of shelter. To find accommodation in Karachi is a hard nut to crack. Although multi-story plazas are coming up all over the city, the construction in most cases is sub-standard and the prices are ever increasing. To get a house on rent is an uphill task because at the very first place, suitable accommodation is not available and secondly the rents demanded are very high. The dream of dwelling in the center of city can only come true if one has lacs to pay as goodwill.

Karachi is a vast and fast spreading metropolis. To reach one corner of the city from the other calls for a lot of courage and patient because the transport facilities perhaps are more acute. Although the busy thoroughfare of the city present the sight of the jungle of traffic with a multitude of vehicles of all kinds, one never finds some means of transport when one is most desperate need of it. In addition to this constant hunt for some means of conveyance, one is horrified to see the alarming rise in the number of traffic accidents. These mishaps take tolls of a number of valuable lives every day. Most of these accidents are due to rash and negligent driving and ultra-disregard for traffic rules and regulations. More over the pedestrians are also lacking in traffic sense and they very often invite death themselves.

Water is one of the primary and most essential needs of human existence. It is very unfortunate that in this city having more than one million population, the supply of water is not sufficient enough to satisfy the needs of population. The problem of water scarcity becomes most acute during the summer months. Although much is said about improving the situation and removing the genuine hardship of the toiling masses little is done and the things seem to remain the same all the time. In certain areas there is large wastage of water, while in other people fail even to quench their thirst.

As the city keeps on expanding and the population goes on increasing, cleanliness cannot be maintained and the sanitary problems draw our immediate attention. Heaps of garbage can be seen in different parts of the city and these become the breaching ground of mosquitoes and these result in the out break of different kind of disease.

Education if the birth right to every individual, we gain knowledge from the cradle to the grave. However in a city like Karachi, to seek admission in an Educational institute can be considered a great incredible feat. The number of students desirous of seeking admission keeps on increasing every year. But the facilities provided are limited and there are very few institutions maintaining good reputation and high standards and providing quality education.

Thus taking all these problems into consideration, one cannot help thinking that Karachi possess numerous difficulties in life and the people of this city deserve all the praise and appreciation for facing them with courage and confidence. Life could become far more pleasant and interesting for the citizens if some of the major problems are solved at earliest at the same time the future prospects of expansion of the city should be kept in mind so that the generation of tomorrow do not come across the kind of problems we are faced today.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Establishment of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was first proposed by Chinese Premier Li Kegiang during his visit to Pakistan in May 2013. The proposed project of linking Kashgar in northwest China with Gwadar Port on Arabian Sea coastline in Baluchistan was approved on July 5, 2013 during the visit of PM Nawaz Sharif to Beijing, which included construction of 200 km long tunnel.

China wants speedy modernization of Xingjiang and other under developed provinces to bring them at par with eastern provinces. For the accomplishment of these dreams, China needs access to warm waters in Arabian Sea through Gwadar since this route to world markets is the shortest and the cheapest. This access was never granted to Russia. Other projects are fibre optic cable from Xingjiang to Rawalpindi, 1240 km long Karachi- Lahore motorway, metro and bus service in six major cities, up gradation of 1300 km long Karakorum Highway, oil/gas pipelines to connect Kashgar to the seaport of Gwadar, 1,800-km railway line, commercial sea-lanes, special economic zones, dry ports and other infrastructure.

Gwadar is one of the least developed districts in Baluchistan province. It sits strategically near the Persian Gulf and close to the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 per cent of the world's oil passes. Work on Gwadar deep-seaport had started in 2002 with China's investment. Some analysts perceive Gwadar seaport turning into China's naval base in the Indian Ocean, enabling Beijing to monitor Indian and American naval activities and thus frustrating their ambition to convert the ocean into exclusive Indian lake. While the CPEC may be 'monumental' for Pakistan, for China it is part of more ambitious plans to beef up the country's global economic muscle. Chinese officials describe the corridor as the "flagship project" of a broader policy-"One Belt, One Road"- which seeks to physically connect China to its markets in Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond.

CPEC has opened vista of great opportunities for Pakistan and will greatly help in overcoming poverty, unemployment, inequities of smaller provinces and help Pakistan in becoming the next Asian tiger. CPEC from all counts will prove a game changer and will make China a real stakeholder in Pakistan's stability and security. It is a win-win situation for both. It will greatly expand the scope for the sustainable and stable development of China's economic development. China's investment in Pakistan has conveyed a big message to the other South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal to hurry and climb on board the Chinese "Belt and Road

The CPEC connected to Gwadar has the potential to radically alter the regional dynamics of trade, development and politics. CPEC is a game changer for the entire region. It will uplift the lives of about 3 billion people across China, Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. China is determined to make Pakistan a success story. $46 billion economic package is Chinese gift for people of Pakistan. Initiative" to derive growth benefits

Covid-19

Today, we all are living in quarantine to stay safe and keeping others safe. It seems like the mighty has pushed the pause button for all of us to make us rethink the life we are living, the way we are proceeding and the future we are building.

We young people have a sense of urgency for everything that makes us hustle to achieve everything promptly. The word barely exists in the dictionary for most of us, and is wiping out in the left ones due to the competitive world we are living in today.

We have loads of trouble that we can point out in this time, but in the mob of hundreds of mindsets, I have erected my foundation stone on the point that Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity during 'plague epidemic ‘quarantine, which indicates that isolation is good for creative ideas if we use our time wisely.

Due to this pandemic, every country is facing severe economic damage, and so do their citizens. In this tough time, I feel that youth needs to hold the torch of responsibilities and should lead everyone towards a better world. In this digital era, we are in need to learn the profitable use of technology, which will help us to solve the challenges of life.

As a young person myself, I am quite familiar with how most of us are working very hard to achieve meritorious marks in exams, get the dream job, earn lots of money, travel the world and have name and fame in society. However, the reverse is the present condition offer us a bonus time to be with ourselves more and hone our skills, which we neglected due to other important activities.

The first in this list could be a new skill. There are various internet platforms where you can learn anything you want like YouTube, Udemy and Skill Share, which provides a variety of dedicated courses to learn any skill from beginner to expert level at no cost. Nevertheless, due to this pandemic, various prestigious universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Copenhagen have made their expensive learning courses free for all, which is just like icing on the cake for dedicated learners.

Now, if you ask for the implementation part, have another gift in the pocket!

Nowadays, due to heavy workload and lack of skill, big companies, and even individuals post proposals for getting their work done for which they are ready to pay. There are various online legal websites like Fiverr and freelancer where you can get direct employment on a work hour basis as per your comfort and the work that you are ready to provide to the work seeker.

By investing a small amount of time daily, everyone can earn sufficient money to fulfill their basic needs. In this way, if every curious, passionate, and dedicated citizen, especially youth, dedicate this precious time to developing and mastering a financial skill, then the economy of Pakistan, as well as other countries, can be brought in a stable condition in and after the pandemic.

As far as equality and power are concerned, I believe that if a small virus can affect both rich and poor, males and females, superior and inferior equally, then, why cannot we equalize the expression of love, care, kindness, and service for all?

In my opinion, these are the "foundation stones" of developing equality and balance in power.

"Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven."

–Henry Ward Beecher

Keeping these words in mind, we should perform good deeds and ask everyone for the same. Because,

"If many little people many little places do many little things

Then we can surely create a better world."