The numerous development and beautification works include repair, carpeting and painting of kerbs on different roads, beautification of green belts, illumination of different roads, cleanliness work, repairing and refurbishing of street lights, installation of flags, banners and balloons, painting of electric poles and installation of hoardings.
According to officials in the city government, repairing and carpeting and painting of kerbs have been carried out at Sharea Faisal, Karsaz Road, Sir Shah Suleman Road, University Road, FTC Flyover, painting of grills and fixing of CC tiles on these roads at a cost of around three million rupees.
Beautification of green belts has been done at different points of Sharea Faisal, Karasaz Road, University Road, Sir Shah Suleman Road, FTC Flyover, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, whereas flower clusters have been made at about 50 locations on different routes, painting of trees and provision of 3,000 plants for both indoor and outdoor decoration in the Expo Centre.
Illumination arrangements have been made on Sharea Faisal, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Civic Centre, major hotels, important government buildings like High Court, Sindh Assembly, Sindh Secretariat, PIDC House, FTC and SSGC buildings, Karachi Gymkhana etc.
On the cleanliness side, all roads, leading to the venue of exhibition, are being cleared and debris removed, besides wall chalking on all routes and roads around the Expo centre and hotels, where the guests are staying, have been removed.
Streets lights have been repaired and replaced on Sharea Faisal from Airport to Hotel Metropole, Sir Shah Suleman Road, Pir Sibghatullah Road, Rashid Minhas Road, Karsaz Road and University Road with the installation of 5,000 multicolor and Pakistani flags and 1,000 balloons on these roads.
The City government has also provided 15 hoarding sites to the organisers of the event free of cost to display the Expo signage on different roads.
Break-up of the amount spent by the City government on the arrangements for the Expo shows that repairing and carpeting of roads cost three million rupees, beautification of green belts: Rs 2.5 million; illumination: Rs 2.5 million; repairing of street lights: five million rupees; flags and balloons: Rs 0.2 million; painting of electric poles: Rs 0.4 million; and five million rupees on exemption of publicity tax on display of hoarding and banners.
Apart from these arrangements, the City government is also organising two fanfares at Clifton beach and North Nazimabad as per the directives of the Sindh governor to create an environment of festivity in the city and to involve public in the Expo.
Meanwhile, over 300 foreign delegates have arrived in the city to attend the Expo, being held at the Expo Centre from February 2 to 5.
Over 1,000 foreign delegate are expected to participate in this mega event in history of the country. They include trade minister of 17 countries and chief executives and heads of several international corporate firms and concerns.
Occupancy in major hotels of the city has touched its peak and the foreign delegates are being accommodated in guest houses, owing to shortage of rooms in major hotels.
The mega event will be kicked off on Wednesday with a welcome song, which would be followed by inaugural ceremony and a musical event.