• Gears up for monsoon with comprehensive plan
• 586 drains, 310 choking points to be cleaned across Karachi

KARACHI: To deal with more than “normal rainfall” which is expected this monsoon, the city administration came together on Thursday and decided in a meeting to clean 586 drains and clear over 310 choking points across Karachi.

According to Meteorological department and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the heavy downpour would mainly affect the southern parts of Sindh.

After the advisory and warning issues by the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), Met office and the NDMA, the city administration held a meeting with Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah to discuss the arrangements for the upcoming monsoon rains, wherein he sought details of preparations done so far and discussed ways for effective operation of the departments concerned during the rains.

The meeting was attended by key officials, including Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Local Government Syed Khalid Hyder Shah, Secretary Rehabilitation Waseem Shamshad, officials from the Water Board, Pakistan Navy, representatives of the Cantonment Boards, all district deputy commissioners, and municipal commissioners, K-Electric, DG Rescue 1122 among others.

A statement issued after the meeting said that a contingency plan for Karachi Division was also presented in light of the expected monsoon rains. The chief secretary highlighted that during current year, higher than normal rainfall was anticipated but assured that the Sindh government will support the KMC and other departments wherever necessary.

Mr Shah emphasised the crucial role of K-Electric in ensuring a continuous power supply for water drainage operations during the rains. He called for special arrangements by K-Electric to prevent any loss of life due to electrical issues. Additionally, he directed all town chairmen to ensure proper drainage of water from the internal streets during the rains.

He instructed the secretary local government to convene meetings with all town commissioners to discuss the preparedness. Furthermore, he directed the Karachi commissioner to establish control rooms at both divisional and district levels to manage emergency situations effectively. Rescue 1122 and the health department were also instructed to prepare comprehensive plans to deal with any emergencies that may arise.

The chief secretary also directed that highly sensitive buildings should be evacuated before the rains as a precautionary measure.

Mayor Murtaza Wahab informed the meeting about the operations of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) which is currently engaged in cleaning 586 drains across the city. He also briefed about the recent construction of roads on both sides of the Gujjar Nullah to prevent encroachments. The mayor also informed that dewatering pumps will be installed at all major roads and underpasses of the city. The mayor also identified several locations where water may accumulate during heavy rains due to choking points.

Commissioner Hassan Naqvi stated that 310 choking points in the city will be cleared before the onset of the rains. To curb the disposal of garbage into the city’s drains, Section 144 had been imposed. The chief secretary assured that all necessary funds for the cleaning of drains and the restoration of pumping stations will be released promptly.

The KE also assured the meeting of uninterrupted power supply to the pumping stations during the rains.

In case of emergencies, citizens are advised to contact Rescue 1122, Karachi traffic helpline at 1915, and K-Electric at 021-99207349.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2024