Keeping this vision in view, hundreds of such children have been admitted to schools at both the rehabilitation sites of Hawksbay and Taisar Town, who were not getting education earlier.
These children are also provided books, uniform and shoes free of cost whereas greater emphasis is being laid on girl education. The girls are taught by educated girls from local population who are paid stipends. Arrangements have also been made for their training as teachers.
At present 12 schools, including a high school, are functioning in the newly rehabilitated settlements whereas eight more schools will start functioning during the year and thus by the start of new session, 20 schools will be functional.
On behalf of Lyari Expressway Rehabilitation Project (LERP) "summer schooling" is also organised during summer holidays so as to make holidays beneficial for children. In summer schooling, the children are imparted quality education while at the end, they are taken to a visit to Karachi's historical and recreational places.
Meanwhile, plantation work at new rehabilitation sites is also being carried out with speed while the second phase of plantation will start from February 15 with the co-operation of Forest Department. In order to provide plants and trees at the sites, project's own nurseries will also be set up while plantation will be carried out on each street and lane through school children.
The Project has decided that in future, anyone coming to site to take possession of plot, will be provided one plant and school admission form then and there so that right from the start an educational and environment-friendly atmosphere is built up.
In the first phase of plantation, over 12, 000 plants have been planted in newly rehabilitated sites while another 30, 000 will be planted during the second phase of plantation starting from February 15.
In the newly rehabilitated settlements, a trend has been set to mark national days with tree plantation. On August 14, the school children had started tree plantation drive in Hawksbay and Taisar Towns while this year they will start Pakistan Day celebration by planting trees on March 23.
The inhabitants of Hawksbay and Taisar Town settlements have started a new tradition together that whenever the construction of a new house will commence, they will offer thanksgiving prayer and plant a tree to make the occasion memorable and make the children and trees a symbol of their bright future.
So far 11, 826 families have been paid Rs 50, 000 per family and documents of 80 sq yard plots free of cost by the Settlement Project.
Under the Rehabilitation project, the first phase of rehabilitation had started 18 months back from Hawksbay site which is now nearing completion.
The Hawksbay Rehabilitation site has a total number of 4910 plots where 4700 families have been issued to allotments.
After the first phase of rehabilitation at Hawksbay, the second phase of rehabilitation of shiftees is going on a pace at Taisar Town site.
At this second rehabilitation site, 6,850 shiftees have been handed over plots and of them 4, 300 families have completed the construction of houses and started living there. The third phase of resettlement project will soon start at the third site of Baldia Town and the ongoing development works will be completed in two months.
At Baldia Town site, work on grid station, primary school, dispensary, mini-civic centre, shopping centre and construction material shops has completed.
Baldia site is spread over 145 acres where 2924 plots have been allocated for shiftees.
In the new resettlements sites, hawkers bazar and shopping centres have also been set up to provide employment opportunities to local population and economic activities there are fast growing.
In order to supply construction material to shiftees, markets of such material have also been established and the same is supplied at a rate cheaper than market price.
The Resettlement Project has also provided health and medical facilities. Besides, government dispensaries at Hawksbay and Taisar Town, one dispensary each of Edhi and Alamgir Trust are also functioning.
In the new Resettlement sites, supply of electricity has also been ensured. Poles have been erected on roads and streets and installation of streetlights completed.
In these settlements, 90, 000 gallons of water is supplied daily with the co-operation of Rangers through community tanks and once a week through regular pipeline.
In Taisar Town, 100,000 gallons of water is supplied through community tanks free of cost.
In order to ensure regular supply of water, laying of water pipeline from North Karachi Filter Plant is completed by over 50 percent and rest will be over within two months whereafter the residents of these "bastis" will start receiving regular water supply.
On the other hand 75 percent of Right of Way for construction of Lyari Expressway has been handed over to National Highway Authority and road construction work is progressing at a fast pace.