President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called for devising a comprehensive plan on a priority basis to prevent urban flooding in Karachi during the current monsoon rains.

The metropolis was submerged in water on Saturday even after receiving light showers, resulting in the death of two minor boys who died in separate incidents. Last week, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had directed the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to conduct a master-plan study within six months to control urban flooding mainly caused by clogging of drains with solid waste, lack of outfall infrastructures and growing squatter settlements and encroachments in the city.

Earlier this month, the chief minister had called for strong coordination among all municipal organisations, an effective drainage system and special attention from relevant authorities to ensure traffic movement in areas where development work is underway.

While chairing a meeting at the President House today, Zardari said the Sindh government should adopt a sustainable and long-term strategy, based on international best practices, for effectively managing sewage and stormwater to save Karachi from urban flooding.

The meeting was called to save Karachi from urban flooding and environmental degradation and promote sustainable water resource development.

It was attended by CM Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, provincial ministers, Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah, KWSC CEO Syed Salahuddin, senior government and military officials, and local and international water management experts.

President Zardari was given a comprehensive presentation by international water and sewage management experts and proposed various solutions to address the challenges of urban flooding and sewage in Karachi on the pattern of the tunnel sewer systems of Washington DC, the London super sewer project and Singapore’s deep tunnel sewerage system.

Speaking on the occasion, the president underlined the need for completing a feasibility study to control flooding in Karachi through tunnelling options within three months.

He said that Karachi and its coastal areas needed to be “made clean and brought at par with” other metropolitan cities of the world.

President Zardari said the Sindh government should approach international donors to seek environmental financing for the project since it would have significant environmental impacts.

He said the construction of the wastewater treatment system would also help supply treated water to Balochistan for agriculture, besides promoting the fisheries sector.

President Zardari remarked that Hyderabad was also facing urban flooding and sewage issues that also needed to be addressed on priority.

During the briefing, it was proposed that a network of small and large sewer tunnels under existing roads in high-flood zones of Karachi may be developed.

It was highlighted that underground tunnelling using modern techniques would not disturb the public, city traffic and land ownership.

The experts informed the other members that Karachi generated almost 450 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage. They added that sewage and stormwater were collected in small and large open drains which fell into the Lyari and Malir rivers and were released untreated into the sea, polluting the marine ecosystem.

It was further mentioned that the existing network of drains had limited capacity and absorbed around 50 per cent of the rainwater under normal circumstances. The members were told that excess water was not absorbed by the system, causing urban flooding.

Latest radar echoes rain-thunderstorms over east moving west: Met chief

Meanwhile, the weather forecast of the city from the meteorological department said it is set to be partly cloudy and humid with chances of light rain at night on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The forecast also predicted a few moderate or isolated heavy falls likely in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparker, Umerkot, Sanghar, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Mitiari, Khairpur, Jamshoro, Dadu and Shaheed Benazirabad districts. 

Isolated thunderstorms/rain were likely in Kambar Shahdadkot, Sukkur, Larkana, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Ghotki and Naushahro Feroze districts today.