Steel Town (Karachi)

Overview

Steel Town

settlement type	Residential Area
map caption	Steel Town, Quaid-e-Azam Park Fountain
subdivision type	Country
subdivision name	🇵🇰 Pakistan
subdivision type1	Province
subdivision name1	Sindh
subdivision type2	City
subdivision name2	Karachi
subdivision type3	District
subdivision name3	Malir District
subdivision type4	Subdivision/Tehsil
subdivision name4	Bin Qasim
parts type	Union Council
parts	Steel Town (U.C.05) Gadap Town
leader party	PPP
leader title	UC Chairman
leader name	Ghulam Raza Jatoi
leader title1	Vice Chairman
leader name1	Ameen Din Jokhio
population as of	2023 Census of Pakistan
population total	322,915 (population of Bin Qasim including Steel Town).
timezone	PST
utc offset	+05:00
postal code type	Postal code
postal code	75010

Steel Town is an 8126 acres suburb that houses employees of Pakistan Steel Mills, where permanent serving officers and workers are offered subsidised rents.

It is located along the N-5 National Highway that stretches from Karachi to Thatta eastwards. Steel Town is in the Gadap Town, Bin Qasim sub-division (tehsil) of Malir District in Karachi, Pakistan, about 21 km from Karachi Airport and 40 km from Karachi Port.

The neighbouring areas include, Pipri, Shah Latif Town, Shah Town and Gulshan-e-Hadeed.[1][2]

Community

Steel Town has been a melting pot of ethnicities including but not limited to Sindhis, Muhajirs, Punjabis, Kashmiris, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Brahuis

Town Planning

Steel Town was built by Pakistan Steel Mills in collaboration with the Soviet Russian steel industrialists in the 1970s. The town is organized in blocks named after their aerial representation. For example, the L Block is in the shape of L as seen from a satellite. Upon entering and heading west approaching the 90-degree bend along T park (Triangle Shape) bordered with coconut trees, comes the lighted up yet protected directors' houses and chairman house. They are surrounded by several 100 yards of trees and a trench-like drainage and spillway along the east of circular road, followed by the green belt and multi-story guest house and officer's mess to the west side. Behind which, protected and further to the west along the boundary are the age old City Cliff School (upscale) and Mashal School (economic) along with some T blocks (3 story / 18 unit apartments) designated for Russian employees.

Continuing along the circular road comes the Russian Market, a semi-circle shaped center market with all kinds of shops, from stationary and garments to dispensaries, groceries and fast food. The only place for kids to enjoy a dip when it rains (depression area), as the entire town was secured by a central drainage system that was built to last and water never stood. Moving along comes the Bank designated area, L and T blocks to the west all the way to border, including a Beaconhouse School utilizing a T block building. As the circular road turns eastwards, the street going straight leads to Madr-e-Millat Girls College (named after the sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and Pakistan Steel Cadet College (Boys only). Attached to the rear of which is Grand Mosque connecting the college to P block apartments, Christian Colony (cleaner's community), and 3 million gallon water reservoir (3MGR) Water Supply Department.

Tracing back to circular road heading eastwards is surrounded on each side by designated mid to senior officers' bungalows. To the left, behind bungalows, is an entrance to hockey and soccer grounds, basketball courts, an abandoned swimming pool and the cricket stadium surrounded by a stone mound. Further behind the stadium is a small lake, traditionally a favorite spot for Russians to go fishing on weekends. Further behind used to be a famous mound and an open ground used by parents to teach driving to their kids. Even further north were bushes, wild animals like boars and hidden lakes ventured by few and later cleaned away for development.

Steel Town (Karachi)

Community

Town Planning

Attractions

References