Karachi Matters Editor
The cost of the Karimabad underpass has increased from 1.35 billion to 4 billion rupees. The daily newspaper Jang has revealed that the cost of the under-construction underpass at Karimabad Chowrangi has tripled.
The original estimate at the start of the project was 1.35 billion rupees, which has now increased to 4 billion rupees. The Karachi Development Authority (KDA) has sent a revised estimate to the Department of Local Government, Government of Sindh.
The reason for the increased cost is that the underpass will be deepened to protect a 24-inch diameter water pipeline that passes through the area. The length of the underpass from Karimabad Chowrangi to Usman Memorial Hospital was initially 600 meters, which has now been extended to 1,080 meters. The depth, which was initially planned to be 5.5 meters, will now be 7.5 meters at the location of the pipeline.
The project will also include the construction of an underground tank to store 200,000 gallons of water, which can store water from continuous rainfall for half an hour.
The project began in April 2023 and is expected to be completed in April 2025. So far, 35% of the work has been completed.
