KARACHI: Taking note of weather forecasts, which predict heavy rains during this monsoon in the country especially in Sindh province, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party has asked Sindh government to put all its official machinery into full gear to cope up with the situation in case of flash floods besides manning the vulnerable points at River Embankments more vigilantly.
Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and his team held a pre-monsoon briefing for the PPP Chairman about the preparedness of government departments to deal with any eventuality or emergency as the province had been the victim of worst flooding in 2010 and 2011 eroding its economy to a great extent.
Meeting was attended by Finance and Irrigation Minister Murad Ali Shah, Minister Local Government Jam Khan Shoro, Secretaries to the Government of Sindh for Irrigation, Finance, Local Government, Commissioner Karachi, Administrator Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC), Relief Commissioner Sindh, Managing Director of SIDA Babar Effendi and others.
Ministers and officials briefed that vulnerable spots on River Bunds have been repaired and necessary material and machinery have been transported to required places to deal with any emergency.
On the occasion, Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Commissioner Karachi briefed measures put into place in Karachi during the monsoons. Removal of encroachments from the drains and desalination of the same being conducted for smooth passage of the rainfall season, they added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari asked the MNAs and MPAs of the concerned areas to monitor the situation and vulnerable spots in their respective constituencies. He said that staff entrusted with the duties should be visible everywhere and no delinquency should be tolerated at any level.