Caring for the public: Malir 15 Flyover to open by Jan 15, promises CM

He directs officials to expedite construction work of Golimar Underpass

KARACHI:

The Malir 15 flyover will open for traffic by January 15 while garbage collection drive will be started across the city from Monday.

"Slow construction work on Malir 15 flyover is causing hardships for the people of Karachi," said Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah. "I want you to open it for traffic latest by January 15."



Presiding over a meeting of the Sindh local government department on Friday at CM House, he also directed officials to expedite the construction work of Golimar Underpass.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, local government minister Jam Khan Shoro said that garbage is one of the major issues of the city. "The garbage collecting drive is being launched across the city from Monday," he said.

Shoro said that there are 17 rain drains in the city which are almost entirely encroached. "People have built houses over them," he said. Owing to huge encroachments, the width of these nullahs has reduced to only five feet instead of its original size of 50 feet. The minister said that it has been decided in the meeting that encroachments from all the nullahs will be removed. He said that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) will construct roads on both the sides of these rain drains.



Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui said that he had cleared three kilometres of encroachment from Gujjar nullah. "The government should start lining of the nullah and construction of the road on the cleared area to avoid re-emergence of encroachment," he suggested. "In this way the area will be utilised in the public interest and the menace of encroachment will automatically come to an end."



He said that most of the drains remained choked and were gushing out water on to the roads which have badly damaged the roads. If the drainage system is improved and proper cleansing of roads and streets is ensured, the city will have a clean look, he said.

The meeting also discussed the recent devolution of local taxation, education and health facilities from the KMC to the District Municipal Corporations (DMCs). "It will improve the quality of education and health facilities," said Shoro, adding that issues of closed schools, and shortage of staff and equipment in hospitals will be addressed.



The chief minister directed the local government department to mobilise the KMC and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) employees to keep the city neat and clean. "The KMC, DMCs and KWSB have [a] huge [number of] staff," he said. "If 50 per cent of their staff members are mobilised, this city would turn into one of the cleanest cities in the world."

The minister for finance and energy, Murad Ali Shah, said that the KWSB must improve its recoveries, which are hardly Rs600 million. "How it is possible for KWSB to pay its salaries, clear power bills and carry out development works?" he questioned, suggesting that KWSB provides facilities to the people of this city, therefore it must recover its dues on a scientific method.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2016.