KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday directed the Karachi administration to start an anti-encroachment drive along the Gujjar nullah from Wednesday and also issued directives for construction of a water channel from Saadi Town to Lat dam for saving the area from urban flooding.

“I want to construct another dam upstream of Lat dam so that waste/rainwater could be stored there for agricultural purposes apart from recharging the groundwater aquifers of Malir district,” he said.

He took these decisions while presiding over the meeting of the Provincial Coordi­nation and Implementation Committee (PCIC) here at CM House.

The meeting was attended by relevant cabinet members, the corps commander, NED University Vice Chancellor and other officials.

PCIC is told six solid waste management boards are being formed at division level

Karachi Commissioner Naveed Shaikh while briefing the meeting said that 3,957 structures along the Gujjar nullah had been identified for removal.

The meeting decided that 12.6 kilometres on both the sides of the nullah would be cleared so that a road on both sides of the channel could be constructed for vehicular traffic.

The chief minister directed the commissioner and Karachi Administrator Laeeq Ahmed to start removing soft encroachment from Feb 3 to 13 and then from Feb 14 launch a full-scale drive.

“We have to clear the encroachments and have to save the city from urban flooding,” he said.

The CM also directed the commissioner to provide cheques to all the 3,957 people to be affected in the removal of encroachments.

It may be noted that an amount of Rs15,000 per household for six months is being given to the affected people.

The meeting was told that 235 units/structures had been removed from Jan 4 to date at Mehmoodabad nullah.

The chief minister was told that out of 65 compensation cheques 45 had been distributed among the affected people and 20 cheques would be distributed shortly because the affectees were out of the city.

New solid waste management law

LG Minister Nasir Shah told the meeting that in order to make solid waste management more efficient the draft Sindh Solid Waste Act had been prepared and sent to the law department for vetting.

The proposed act includes establishment of separate boards at the level of each divisional headquarter.

There would be six boards across the province and each board would work as independent and autonomous body within its jurisdiction.

The boards would be headed by their respective managing directors.

Divisional commissioners will be the chairman of the board and mayors/chairman of metropolitan/municipal corporations concerned will be on the board. There would be some technical members and private members.

The meeting decided to develop a separate storm-water drain from Saadi Town to Lat dam so that the area could be saved from flooding during downpour.

The chief minister asked NED University to study the project and submit its report.

The meeting was told that the Lat dam was a recharge dam constructed in 2011-14. It has a capacity of 53-acre feet. The reservoir was silted within two years after its construction.

The chief minister directed the LG department to remove sediment from the dam so that rainwater could be stored in the dam.

He also directed the LG and irrigation departments to prepare a feasibility report of another dam upstream of Lat dam.

He also decided to store waste /rainwater into Thadho dam to use it for agricultural purposes.

He added that presently waste/rainwater was flowing into the sea but it could be stored in Thadho dam to use for agriculture purpose.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2021