Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
Subways will also serve as water storage areas after the rain.
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
^^ well we need to completely overhaul our sewage, water systems
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
mercenary2k's comments are nailing my thoughts.. well criticized mercenary2k, the pollution control and infrastructure/environment improvements need to be made first..
As for the Centaurus, the adverts show it to be pretty good although I know the 7-/6-star status is hyperbole (same as with Burj-al-Arab).. also I think that it WILL indeed create opportunities and is a good innovation since it is in Islamabad.. the safest and most well-off city in Pakistan..
Some of the other projects such as the Sheikh Zayed complexes in Lahore and the offshore projects taking place in Karachi are good innovations too although it would've been better if we didn't have to financially partner with a foreign company for that.. the malls are built by local companies and are a good step ahead.. as well as the road infrastructure, it's being improved greatly.. I have to admit that Musharraf's doing quite a work on these things despite kissing Bush's ass all the time
A bright future I think but environmental improvements are first to be done.. as well as bans on No. 2 trades > a possible setback for future investments..
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
its still being constructed
i think it will open on new year's 2008
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
I agree with mercenary2k, the pollution needs to be controlled, I was there last month and the pollution was so bad in some areas that it was difficult to breath, I havent experienced this before, even Islamabad is polluted now.
The old cars and rickshaws give out terrible emission.
The roads have improved but the traffic has gotten worst.
Next step which is unavoidable is to improve the environment and cut back on pollution, bad gas from industry and implement green rules like the ones in the EU.
I know that with these rules the poor will suffer more but if we dont do anything then they will suffer from the environmental disaster even more!
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
Pkistan politicians are all talk and no show.. The Nazim of Lahore was considering Magnetic levatating trains not long ago! I mean, they still cant figure out how to dispose of sewage and garbage, and the guy wants to build a Magnetic train network! Ridiculous!
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
Once my dad is out of Pakistan I will post details with names of the crooks involved, but during 80’s and 90’s massive studies were undertaken with worldbank and world health organization funding to develop solutions for water supply as well as sewerage, and storm water drainage in Karachi.. among other studies. There were also studies conducted for pollution, air, noise, u name it.
The challenge arose when the locl companies started to bid for projects, and how teh govt wanted to handle it. Essentially govt wanted to take on projects which would be obsolete and not meet population demands by the time that they were done. It was idiotic, the study had looked at population growth patterns and had noted what was the amount of development needed.
The reason is actually fairly simple. lets say you spend $200M to do something that would last 30 years. It gives you one chance to do your crooked business once and lets say get 1% of that in yoru pocket, and then for 30 years the thing is running fine. however if you opt for a 10 year solution for $130M, in 10 years it over, then you pick another solution for 10 years for $130M. you get opportunities to do it all over again in a few years. It was disgusting to see that.
And then in the end since the assessment of bids by companies was being led by dad. He received threats, including kidnap threats for us. For that reason we did not go to Pakistan for 3.5 years and only went after benazir was out of power.
so merc… there were plans, excellent studies. My brother who worled on soem of these world bank studies as an intern could tell you more, but they actually went to hundreds of sites in the city to measure sewerage and storm water levels at different times of day, assessing blockage factors and all.
Its not that it was not known what needed to be done. It was just that the powers that be wanted kickbacks, wanted their apsl to win bids and do shoddy jobs, and wanted to have this piggy bank open to them.
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
^^ Pakistan is hopeless
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
^^ Well there are PLANS laid out to solve the air pollution problems, at Clean Air Net they have a good catalogue of the hopeful activities laid out for Paki cities, but let's just hope they implement it..
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
Pollution needs to be tacked in a number of differnet ways
1 - Mass Transit like Subways so that people don't need to drive everywhere and can take subways.
2 - Banning of Rickshaws and Tongas. They produce so much pollution that this needs to stop.
3 - Emission Control so that cars don't burn too much gas.
4 - Planting of trees all along the roads so the pollution is absored by them.
Doing these 4 things will heavily curtail pollution.
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
GUYS check out these beautiful towers going up in Karachi.. Originally they were supposed to be 65 storeys, but had to be reduced to around 40 storeys thanks to the Sindh CM…
Still, this project is amazingly beautiful, I love it..
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=321716&page=7
check it out…
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
1 - Mass Transit like Subways so that people don't need to drive everywhere and can take subways. 2 - Banning of Rickshaws and Tongas. They produce so much pollution that this needs to stop. 3 - Emission Control so that cars don't burn too much gas. 4 - Planting of trees all along the roads so the pollution is absored by them.
Doing these 4 things will heavily curtail pollution.
^^ Why doesn't some one just call the WWF to Karachi.. the pollution and the downright f*k'd up pet trade (in Pakistan it's like.. nvm) might be taken up a little more seriously then.. by the way mercenary2k Subways would mean redesigning a bit of the city > it can be done but still requires quite an effort.. for the time even environmentally-friendly transit buses will do .. but at least put in some damned effort you ppl
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
the day lahore gets a subway like NYC, i’m going there :love:
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
Subways are a must.
In every major city in the world from New York to Tokyo to Tehran to Bombay, they all have Subways.
Subways are a necessity as the road network is simply not capable of handling the traffic.
If this means that Karachi has to be re-desinged, so be it.
The current situation is untennable.
Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, all need subways.
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
New York Subways were build in 1900. I still can’t understand how people in America can build subways 100 years ago and yet Pakistan is still struggling with the concept.
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
I wonder, with all these developments, especially of subways, would harrassment/teasing/staring problem worsen or gradually eliminate?
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
problem with go underground :halo:
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
my guess, all the mostly poor people who use rickshaws and motorbikes to travel will use the subways to get around and the rich would use the cars
as for the women, the government could do something like what Iran's subways have
they have 2 subway cars for women only but women are free to sit in the other cars as well.
its up to them
if they dont feel comfortable they can travel in the women only car which when dealing with jihal people like pakistanis makes sense
Re: The Centaurus - Islamabad
I think Pakistan’s buses are the same, theres buses that are for women only..but I still see only men in them 