President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said a new city, New Karshi, designed for 500,000 residents will be built in Kashkadarya province, announcing the plan at a meeting during a visit to the province.
New Karshi will be erected on 5,000 hectares at the junction of Karshi city, Kokdala district and Karshi district, Mirziyoyev said. Construction will also begin on the 235-hectare “New Nasaf” eco-complex on a canal bank in Karshi district.
“Prominent architecture firms will be engaged, and within two months a master plan incorporating advanced urban planning solutions will be drawn up,” the presidential press service said in a statement. An initial 20 billion soums will be allocated for its preparation, it said.
Multi-storey buildings, shopping and business centers, and housing will be built on “green” and “smart” city principles, the statement said.
The president also set out a tourism target, saying the province has every opportunity to attract 6 million tourists a year. A ski resort is planned in Gelon village with Tatarstan, with its first phase due to open next year.
Taragay in Chirakchi district, Bashir in Kitab district and Tatar in Yakkabag district could become ethnotourism hubs, he said. Sayyod and Suvtushar villages in Shahrisabz district could develop rafting and sports tourism.
Officials were told to prepare a master plan for the six villages within one month and to start $50 million in projects from March 1.
The statement also said a “Kashkadarya model” for tree planting and expanding green areas will be created. A “Greenest Neighborhood” contest will be held each year before Navruz, with winners receiving electric cars and other prizes.
Kashkadarya has received 2.5 million tourists since the start of the year, including 500,000 who visited Gelon alone.
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