‘Months of hard work prevented urban flooding’

In the aftermath of the monsoon rain, Sindh Local Government Secretary Roshan Ali Sheikh held a meeting in which participants discussed the drainage situation in Karachi through video link.

The meeting was attended by key officials, including the metropolitan and deputy commissioners, managing directors of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Senior Director Masood Alam, CLICK Project Director Zubair Channa and representatives of Chinese companies.

Sheikh said the continuous cleaning of 38 major storm drains of the city, which had been going on for the last several days, should be further expedited and improved and the condition of drains within the limits of the District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) should also be improved.

The local government secretary also called for improving the garbage transfer in the city. He termed the progress in the process of cleaning the drains as a great achievement and appreciated the team members who performed their duties in this regard. The mission of serving the people should continue without any hindrance, he said.

He directed the local bodies’ employees to remain alert in all the districts in view of the forecast of more rain and said that special measures should be taken in all the sensitive and low-lying areas, underpasses and possible choking points.

Sheikh said the success achieved in the last rain due to the comprehensive plan to save the areas from any kind of damage or destruction was due to months of hard word in the past. He maintained that during the previous rains, rainwater had inundated Korangi Zaman Town, Saadi Town, District West and various other areas, forcing several people to evacuate; however, so such thing was observed this time due to the timely cleaning of storm water drains. He remarked that no casualties were reported and no urban flooding took place.

The local government secretary said the water collected as a result of rain in the last two days had been significantly cleared as a result of an integrated strategy. He, however, added that the drainage work in some areas was being delayed due to infrastructure complications.

Sheikh said that orders had been issued for continuous transfer of garbage from the garbage transfer stations. He warned that in case of non-compliance, strict departmental action would be taken. According to the secretary, all the local body representatives of the city were in constant touch with him and emergency measures were being taken under a joint strategy.

He said that the rain emergency units in all the districts were in touch with the central monitoring unit in the Sindh local government department’s office and immediate action was being taken after receiving public complaints and suggestions.

Sheikh added that instructions had been issued to all the DMCs regarding the identification of specific places of sacrifice and on the occasion of Eidul Azha, the sacrifice would be performed with cleanliness and order.