Campaign to name and shame encroachers of drains to begin soon: CM Murad Ali Shah

By Our Correspondent
August 08, 2020

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said the names of businessmen and builders who have established patrol pumps, filling stations and apartments illegally on the storm water drains in Karachi would be made public through the national media just after the ongoing monsoon spell.

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He stated this on Friday while talking to media persons at the Shaheed-e-Millat Underpass after visiting three districts during fourth spell of monsoon rains in the city.

Shah said various builders and businessmen had constructed apartments, houses, petrol pumps and such other establishments on the nullahs. “I have directed the Local government department to prepare a list of builders/owners along with their names and the names of their establishments constructed on the nalas and I would make their names public,” he vowed.

Shah said that due to their illegal constructions the entire water disposal system got choked and inundated various roads; therefore, they must be exposed for showing enmity to this city. He added that he had already ordered the removal of such illegal structures.

He said he returned from Islamabad on Friday morning and found Sharea Faisal clear from rainwater. “I would request the media to show our performance to the people through photographs and footage as it [media] had been showing submerged roads during the last spells of downpour,” he said.

“I don’t care what our opponents say about the performance of the Sindh government, but I am quite satisfied with the work we have been doing and people of this province are appreciating us.”

The chief minister said the Met office had issued a weather advisory; therefore, his government had taken necessary measures to keep the city and its people safe. “Today, all of you reporters have visited the city, and whatever performance of the government you have personally watched and seen with the eye of your camera, you should share it with the people.” He added that all the provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and MPAs were on the roads to monitor relief works.

To a question, the chief minister said that it was the responsibility of the federal government to extend a helping hand to the province at the time need. “I appreciate the NDMA that has started cleaning three nalas to support the Sindh government,” he said and hoped a similar support would continue for completing and launching mega projects.

Visit: Earlier, Chief Minister Shah along with provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani and Syed Nasir Shah and Adviser Murtaza Wahab visited three districts -- South, Korangi and Central – and saw the removal of sludge from nullahs and the disposal of rainwater that had accumulated in low-lying areas.

District South: Shah started his visit from Aiwan-e-Sadr where rainwater had accumulated in front of the Muslim Gymkhana and the Governor’s House. The chief minister inspected the machine installed there to drain water.

The CM at Regal Chowk inspected the removal of sludge from the Regal Chowk Nullah and from the main road.

A t the Odeon Market, office-bearers of the market union gathered around him. They told the chief minister that people at the hospital that treated skin diseases were throwing hospital waste into the nullah. At this, the chief minister directed the health secretary to stop thehospital administration from disposing of the health facility’s waste in the nullah.

DC South Irshad Sodhar told the chief minister that the market union had constructed toilets on the nullah; therefore its proper cleaning was not possible. He said that on Thursday night all the toilets constructed on the nullah were bulldozed and then the nullah was cleaned. He disclosed that from that small portion of the nullah, 70 truckloads of sludge were taken out and dumped at a dumping site.

The chief minister visited Garden Road and found gutters were overflowing at the police headquarters. At this, he expressed his displeasure and directed the DC South to call the DMC South staffers to clean the area.

The DC South, in presence of the CM, got a machine installed there which started pumping out the accumulated water and the DMC’s sanitation staff started cleaning and opening the choked gutters.

District Korangi: The CM visited CBM Nullah which was properly cleaned from the CBM side while the work across the road was being started. The chief minister told the DC to expedite its cleaning and said he would visit it within the next two days to see the progress.

Shah also inspected the Nasir Jump Nullah, which discharges water into the CBM Nullah. The Nasir Jump Nullah was properly cleaned and the people present there told the chief minister that its sludge was removed by the Sindh government and now the NDMA had started cleaning it further.

He also visited a connecting nullah between the Nasir Jump Nullah and the CBM Nullah, where excavators were brought but they had yet to start the work. The CM directed the contractor of the FWO to clean the connecting Nullahs instead of cleaning the Nasir Jump Nullah again.

District East: The chief minister visited the Zehri House Nullah in District East which was flowing smoothly after its cleaning and opening of its choking points. Shah also visited PECHS and Shaheed-e-Millat Road and inspected disposal of rainwater into the drainage system.

DC East Ahmed Ali Siddiqui briefed the chief minister about the ongoing cleaning work.

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