Efforts on to keep Karachi flood-free
NDMA has engaged services of FWO to de-silt drains
Serious efforts have been made after Eid Al Adha by different government agencies to save Karachi from urban flooding, which otherwise becomes a common occurrence every time the city receives heavy downpours during the monsoon season.
Several parts of the city become submerged following heavy rain due to blockages in storm water drains caused by the constant dumping of solid waste and sewage in them. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah acknowledged the age-old sewerage system in the city is major issue. The Sindh government — which has been in power in the province for last 12 years — has often been criticised by opposition political parties for neglecting the development of Karachi including the revamp of its system of municipal governance.
Desilting drains
Under the mandate directly given by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been supervising the work being done to clear storm water drains of the city. The NDMA has engaged the services of Frontier Works Organization (FWO) — the premier construction agency of Pakistan Army — to “de-silt”
storm water drains of the city.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the spokesman for the NDMA said that the FWO till the previous day had lifted 10,000 tonnes solid waste from the three major drains of Karachi.
He said that some 42 points in the passage of the three drains had been identified where free flow of the storm water was blocked due to the issue of silt and solid waste. He said that out of these 42 “Choking points” 35 had been cleared till Thursday. He said that the FWO had been given the task to clear the three storm water drains till August 08 (Saturday).
He said that the chairman of NDMA had been in constant contact with the FWO and other relevant civic agencies to conclude the waste disposal task in Karachi at the earliest.