Authorities have three weeks to submit work plan

SC wants a comprehensive plan to clean, rehabilitate storm water drains in Karachi

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) allowed on Saturday the provincial chief secretary, Karachi mayor and chief of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) three weeks to submit a comprehensive work plan for the cleaning and rehabilitation of storm water drains in the metropolis.

A two-judge bench, comprising justices Faisal Arab and Sajjad Ali Shah, granted time during a hearing of the matter relating to cleaning and rehabilitation of storm water drains in the case regarding non-provision of clean drinking water and sanitation across the province.



The special bench had taken up the matter at the SC’s Karachi Registry. At the outset of the proceedings, a report was submitted on behalf of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, KDA and other authorities who submitted that work on cleaning and rehabilitation of the city’s four major storm water drains had been initiated. These drains include the Gujjar Nullah, Chakra Nullah, Mehmoodabad Nullah and Kalri Nullah.

The petitioner, Advocate Shahab Usto, informed the court that in compliance with the directives issued by the SC-appointed judicial commission, he along with the chief secretary, mayor, KDA DG and heads of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and other civic agencies were devising a comprehensive and sustainable work plan for the cleaning of storm water drains, their rehabilitation and removal of encroachments alongside such drains.



They were also working on how to remove obstructions like wires and water pipelines that passed through or over these drains.

Usto pleaded to the court to grant six weeks to devise such a plan and submit it to the court, however, the bench members granted only three weeks.