Civic departments asked to clean drains by June 15

KMC officials to ensure all choking points are cleared before Monsoon

KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), district municipal corporations (DMCs) and other civic agencies have been directed to complete the desilting and cleaning of storm water drains, within their respective jurisdictions by June 15, in view of the coming monsoon.

Presiding over a meeting, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani directed the deputy commissioners to monitor the removal of garbage being carried out by the Solid Waste Management Board and DMCs.

The commissioner asked all the relevant departments to ensure they are prepared to deal with any emergency situations during Monsoon rains. He stressed on the need to ensure that choking points of all drains were cleared before the onset of Monsoon rains.

The meeting was updated about the progress made with regards to improving the condition of Gujjar Nallah and Mahboodabad Nallah, under the supervision of KMC. According to KMC officials, walls were being constructed on either side of both the nallahs, as a step to stop the citizens from throwing garbage into the drains.



Officials from KMC also informed the commissioner that 38 drains are running across Karachi, and effluent from most of these drains is discharged into the sea. They identified the vulnerable points in the city, including Yousuf Goth, Sadi Town, Malir Cantt, Safoora Goth, Palm Village, Amroha Society, Thaddo Dam and Lat Basti, and said that arrangements for dewatering these areas were underway.

Keeping in view the past incidents of flooding caused by rain in the city, Karachi commissioner instructed deputy commissioners to monitor the work being carried out in areas identified as vulnerable.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2019.