The Development of New Cities in Pakistan

Pakistan is World’s sixth most-populous country having a population of around 187,343,000 as per 2011 estimate. A news report by Saqib Omer Saeed in his column Balance is the call for urbanizing Pakistan says that 50% of Pakistan’s population lives in 8 major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Hyderabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Peshawar.

The price of land is rising so high along with inflation rate that a common man is unable to afford a respectable living easily in the most populated developed cities. Another aspect is that, since 50% of country’s population is living in 8 - 10 major cities, the cities themselves have come under huge burden for providing maximum facilitation of jobs, education, hospitalization, edibles, electricity, and so on. Additionally, the high population rate in specific cities is massively increasing pollution resulting bad health inclusive of various other administrative problems. 

It is therefore, recommended that Pakistan administration must focus on development of new cities. There is a huge space available in the country not being utilized. You may take a look at the surrounding areas of motorway, (a very clear example for anyone to understand) where there is neither any developmental work nor any housing colony available. In-fact, we find many under-developed towns, where there is still no electricity, gas, proper water supply or any facility of life. Motorway itself is a great blessing for such towns that has given them a source of connectivity with other cities of Pakistan.

The development of new colonies must be planned and worked upon timely in order to facilitate the masses. These can be worked upon like a project to be completed in a specific time limit. The new colonies can be developed in a way that it should cover the following;

1. Solar Panels (for electricity)
2. Good Hospital with latest facilities
3. Schools & University Branches (Standard Education)
4. Big Shopping Malls
5. Security System
6. Well Constructed Roads
7. Parks and Quality Restaurants
8. Proper Sewerage System
9. Underground wiring / cabling
10. Standard Internet connection
11. A Reserved Area for the Fields  
12. A major Farm House for Residents
13. A Colony Forest

With the facilities, as mentioned above, each colony would be able to facilitate its residents with a good standard living. I have referred solar panels, forest, farm house and fields in addition. The purpose to introduce these is to make each colony self sufficient.

Let’s take the start from solar panels; it can be organized in two ways.

Solar Panels

1. The colony should have a reserved space for the solar panels and its power house would manage the entire electricity matters (inclusive of billing) of the colony with 24 hours electricity supply. People will have regular billing system like they have Wapda bills now (here they would pay to the colony administration being run under govt) however they will not have any electricity shortfall since each colony will have its own power house to supply the electricity as per its demand. 
2. The second option is, solar panels availability should be made easy for the colony residents, and each house would fix the solar panels as per its requirement at its floor thus the residents will not have to pay the electricity bills rather they would pay once for the solar panels or solar panels can be made available on easy installments.

Colony Farm House

A Farm House for residents has been proposed with an idea that can be implemented in two ways;

1. A farm House should be available for the residents where they are able to keep their own animals. (Cows goats, chickens etc) The trained staff as required would organize the farm and look after the animals and residents would pay their monthly rent and get the milk and eggs of their own animals. OR
2. The colony would have its own dairy farm from where the residents can purchase the dairy requirements. The intent of the idea is to provide organic food to the residents for a health living. Personally I feel we must avoid all the chemical and processed food to increase average health ratio.

Colony Field

The reserved area for the fields has been advised for the availability of fresh vegetables. Each colony would meet the vegetable requirement for its residents. Again the idea is to provide organic food free of any chemical.

Standard Living 

Like a well established colony, it should also be facilitated with quality education, good hospitals, big shopping malls, entertainment and security, well constructed roads, availability of internet. There is no reason that masses could ignore such a standard living and would naturally move from bigger cities to such colonies where they have all the facilities. Moreover, it will open multiple employment opportunities at various levels with hospitals, schools, power house, farm house, fields, security systems etc.

Colony Forest

Another proposal for an ideal village is that of a forest. The forest must have trees as per the calculation of 10 trees per house of the colony. If more can be managed, nothing is better than that. The forest can be taken advantage of in multiple ways.

1. It can be transformed to a mini zoo where local residents can come for an entertainment.
2. The colony forest would produce enough oxygen for its residents, decreasing global warming leaving positive aspects on the colony with good climate change.
3. The forest would add beauty and decrease heat.
4. The rest-house can also be constructed in forest if someone likes to live there to enjoy for the shift of mind. (as required for the peace of mind)

With all the facilities, every citizen would love to live in a place like this that covers each facility of life. However, it is requested that multiple similar colonies should be worked upon simultaneously and since a barren land would be utilized, the cost of plot or house should not be so high that a respectable person or a common man could not afford it.

 If we aim to make Pakistan a dream land; it can be achieved with developmental works, by making respectable living affordable for every Pakistani. However, the effort requires sincerity, devotion and a zest to change the deficiency into sufficiency.