Cleanliness drive for Karachi’s 38 big drains kicks off

A drive for the cleaning of 38 big drains kicked off on Thursday under a World Bank project, Click.

According to a press statement from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the cleaning drive will be completed in 45 days at a cost of eight million dollars. The work began from the Mehmoodabad neighbourhood where Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar inaugurated the campaign.

Local government secretary Roshan Ali Shaikh, senior director coordination Masood Alam and other officials were also present on the occasion. Nasir said the blockage of drains was a major issue and they were trying to resolve it with the assistance of the World Bank.

He said the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) had been included in the project to ensure that garbage lifted from the drains was taken to the landfill sites. The LG minister said that in the past, billions of rupees were spent for the cleaning of drains, but the required results could not be achieved.

“This time we will try to ensure the work is done properly,” he added. The mayor said they informed Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and the LG minister about the blockage of drains that were full of garbage and filth.

“Rain drains,” he pointed out, “have now been converted into sewerage drains.” Akhtar said heavy rains were predicted in Karachi and the current situation was very concerning as “there is also a threat of urban flood”.

Appreciating the provincial government for the cleaning work, he hoped that the work would continue in future as well. “We hope that the cleaning of drains will be done consistently so that these issues could be resolved.”

He said nullahs spread over 265 kilometres would be cleaned in the drive. “The work is starting from Mehmoodabad and would be expanded to other areas.” The mayor requested the citizens not to dump garbage in the drains as “it leads to blockage of the nullahs”.

He asked the provincial government to make the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board active to collect garbage. “The drainage system cannot be effective until the disposal of garbage at landfill sites is ensured.”

Later, the LG minister along with the mayor reviewed cleanliness in Mehmoodabad and passed directives to the relevant officials the cleaning work.