How storm water drains vanished
August 12, 2006
KARACHI: This is not the first time that Karachi has received rainfall, but this city had a network of storm water drains, which have now been encroached upon.
These drains of Karachi are now history.
The City Nazim should go through the survey maps and drawing where he could see that old Karachi had a peculiar system which allowed rainwater of the city to fall either into the sea or some big Nullah.
A former employee of the KMC who had helped carve out these Nullahs told The News that at first there was a Nullah which started from SITE area and passed through Nazimabad.
He disclosed that this was probably more than 10 feet wide, nine to ten feet deep and this was all along the present Nazimabad Eid Gah and passed straight on to Liaquatabad.
He said when there were these Nullahs, Karachi in the 60s and 70s had received the most severe rainstorms but water passed through these Nullahs and never ever did the roads get inundated.
The roads remained there, as water never washed away these roads.
He said there was also an arrangement to clean Nullahs. Manpower or sanitary staff was hired to clean these storm water drains.
This Nullah passed all along from SITE area, passing the Nazimabad police station, it ended at the Nazimabad fire station.
A famous restaurant has covered these nullahs and placed chairs on them. Similarly two marriage halls have also made a parking lot over this Nullah.
Similarly, he said, there was also a Nullah all along former Cheel Kothee in the PECHS but now it has been covered by car showrooms.
He said there also used to be nullahs in Garden area. Now this has also been encroached upon. The City Nazim has to find and dig out these Nullahs, but for this he will have to face resistance from the Land Mafia.
The former KMC employee said M A Jinnah Road had also small water drain system bit now the dramatic increase in population and encroachment has distorted all this system.
He suggested that it is good to hire a consultant but first he could utilise a Nullah which is all along Nazimabad, Ghareebabad and Liaquatabad underpasses.
These Nullahs could be highly beneficial to these underpasses. In a lighter vein, he said youngsters at that time used to swim and take a dip in the Nullahs during rainfall.
This long Nullah has now been covered, so it is obvious now rainy water has no passage to flow somewhere, so city has to witness worst inundated roads.
There was another Nullah opposite Sadar Empress Market, just adjacent to Rainbow Center. Now there is a meat market there.
Similarly, he said, there was a big Nullah which is now covered by Urdu Bazaar at Burns Road and Government College for Women.
He recalled that there was another Nullah at Light House which has also become Land Mafia’s victim.
It is worth mentioning that city nazim has ordered hiring of a consultant to lay the foundation of a storm water drain system.
A press statement issued on Thursday did not mention the cost of hiring the consultant.
City Nazim at a recent press conference had stated that it is surprising that educated people of a posh locality had encroached upon Nullahs and this made roads inundated in Bath Island and Clifton.
These drains of Karachi are now history.
The City Nazim should go through the survey maps and drawing where he could see that old Karachi had a peculiar system which allowed rainwater of the city to fall either into the sea or some big Nullah.
A former employee of the KMC who had helped carve out these Nullahs told The News that at first there was a Nullah which started from SITE area and passed through Nazimabad.
He disclosed that this was probably more than 10 feet wide, nine to ten feet deep and this was all along the present Nazimabad Eid Gah and passed straight on to Liaquatabad.
He said when there were these Nullahs, Karachi in the 60s and 70s had received the most severe rainstorms but water passed through these Nullahs and never ever did the roads get inundated.
The roads remained there, as water never washed away these roads.
He said there was also an arrangement to clean Nullahs. Manpower or sanitary staff was hired to clean these storm water drains.
This Nullah passed all along from SITE area, passing the Nazimabad police station, it ended at the Nazimabad fire station.
A famous restaurant has covered these nullahs and placed chairs on them. Similarly two marriage halls have also made a parking lot over this Nullah.
Similarly, he said, there was also a Nullah all along former Cheel Kothee in the PECHS but now it has been covered by car showrooms.
He said there also used to be nullahs in Garden area. Now this has also been encroached upon. The City Nazim has to find and dig out these Nullahs, but for this he will have to face resistance from the Land Mafia.
The former KMC employee said M A Jinnah Road had also small water drain system bit now the dramatic increase in population and encroachment has distorted all this system.
He suggested that it is good to hire a consultant but first he could utilise a Nullah which is all along Nazimabad, Ghareebabad and Liaquatabad underpasses.
These Nullahs could be highly beneficial to these underpasses. In a lighter vein, he said youngsters at that time used to swim and take a dip in the Nullahs during rainfall.
This long Nullah has now been covered, so it is obvious now rainy water has no passage to flow somewhere, so city has to witness worst inundated roads.
There was another Nullah opposite Sadar Empress Market, just adjacent to Rainbow Center. Now there is a meat market there.
Similarly, he said, there was a big Nullah which is now covered by Urdu Bazaar at Burns Road and Government College for Women.
He recalled that there was another Nullah at Light House which has also become Land Mafia’s victim.
It is worth mentioning that city nazim has ordered hiring of a consultant to lay the foundation of a storm water drain system.
A press statement issued on Thursday did not mention the cost of hiring the consultant.
City Nazim at a recent press conference had stated that it is surprising that educated people of a posh locality had encroached upon Nullahs and this made roads inundated in Bath Island and Clifton.
