Sukkur: Sukkur Mayor Barrister Arsalan Islam Sheikh has announced a comprehensive plan to modernise the city’s civic infrastructure, improve the environment, strengthen fire safety, streamline traffic management, and upgrade water, power, and drainage systems.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Sheikh said that 167 buildings in the city were identified as lacking proper fire safety systems. Notices are being issued to their owners to address this issue.
To improve firefighters’ response times, the mayor said the number of fire stations would be increased. The first new station is being established at City Point to quickly cover nearby areas.
He added that a 70-member force, consisting of revenue police and municipal staff, would be deployed to tackle traffic congestion. In addition, three parking plazas are planned to ease parking problems in the city.
Mayor Sheikh also revealed plans to dedicate a special route for electric vehicles to promote an eco-friendly transport system while modernising traffic management across Sukkur.
“We are also upgrading the city’s drainage system. Being a gravity-based city, the drainage network uses natural flow and takes the hilly terrain into account. This method has already solved 70% of energy-related drainage issues,” the mayor said.
He further explained that untreated wastewater in the past had harmed agricultural land and water supplies. Currently, nine million gallons of water are treated and released daily, and efforts are underway to increase this capacity to 30 million gallons.
Construction work is progressing rapidly after acquiring 35,000 square feet of land for oxidation purposes. Additional ponds in Saeedabad are 80% complete.
“Sukkur will soon become the first city in Sindh to release only treated water into the Indus River,” he said, noting that 153,000 feet of new pipelines have already been laid. The system will be further improved with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The mayor said new water filtration plants will be installed based on population density. Infrastructure has been upgraded using World Health Organization (WHO) standards, including 22 generators, 14 transformers, and independent feeders, ensuring long-lasting operation. An integrated system for draining both rainwater and sewage has also been completed.
Mayor Sheikh highlighted climate change as a major threat to food security and announced the introduction of a Digital Plantation System along with a tree-plantation campaign worth Pkr20 million.
In a significant land reclamation effort, 46 acres of low-lying land between Old Sukkur and New Pind, previously affected by stagnant sewage, have been secured. This area will be transformed into a modern zoo and public recreational space.
Sukkur Municipal Corporation spokesman Aamir Mughal also spoke at the event, supporting the mayor’s initiatives.
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