Mayor writes letter to Sindh govt for funds to clean storm-water drains

Mayor Wasim Akhtar has written a letter to the Sindh government asking it to provide funds for cleaning storm-water drains in the city after the Supreme Court issued directives that the task be done within 20 days.

According to the spokesperson for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the work cannot begin without funds. There are 29 Nullahs or storm-water drains in Karachi and the orders of the apex court have to be implemented in full letter and spirit, he said while talking to The News on Sunday.

At a press conference last week, Mayor Akhtar had said that the Sindh government should start constructing the road and sidewalls around Gujjar Nullah after the KMC had completed de-silting and removal of encroachments along the drain. He warned that encroachments will re-emerge if the structures were not constructed immediately.

He added encroachments had also been removed from the Manzoor Colony Nullah, and sidewalls should also be constructed along it. This would make the drains safe as well, he said.

Meanwhile, addressing a meeting on Nehr-e-Khyyam, Akhtar said de-silting and removal of encroachments had also been completed at this drain and the area was being redesigned to make it beautiful.

The meeting was attended by the parks director general, the senior director for municipal services, senior director for anti-encroachments, officials of the water board and the project consultant for Nehr-e-Khyyam. Mayor Akhtar directed the officers to speed up work and complete this project as soon as possible.

Court’s directives

On April 18, the Supreme Court-appointed judicial commission investigating the non-provision of potable water, proper sanitation facilities and healthy environment to Sindh’s people had directed the KMC to remove encroachments and garbage from storm-water drains across the city.

The commission headed by Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim took exception to the delays in the removal of encroachments from the drains as well as their cleaning. Sindh Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon informed the judicial body that Rs500 million would be provided to the KMC for the removal of garbage and encroachments from the city’s drains.

The commission directed the chief secretary to transfer all the rehabilitation schemes for the cleaning of the drains from the Karachi Development Authority to the local government.

The judicial body observed that the quality of cleaning of and rehabilitation work on drains would not be compromised and would be examined by NESPAK (the National Engineering Services Pakistan).

The commission also visited different storm-water drains, including the Pitcher Nullah, the Mehmoodabad Nullah and the Gujjar Nullah and ordered the removal of encroachments on the banks of these drains.

The judicial body directed the chief executive officer of the K-Electric to appear before the commission and submit a report on the removal of power cables passing through these drains. The KMC director informed the judicial body that 5,600 feet of drains had been cleaned across the city. The commission observed that no progress has been made with regard to the removal of encroachments and garbage, and termed the KMC director’s report as eyewash.