New water drain to be built to tackle urban flooding in Sindh

Chief secretary directs Malir DC to demolish encroachments at Mehran Drain

KARACHI: A 3.5-kilometre-long water drain will be built to tackle monsoon rains and urban flooding, the Sindh government decided on Thursday, while the Mehran Drain will be rehabilitated to save residential areas like Saadi Town and other low-lying localities in the surroundings from flooding.

A meeting chaired by Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah on Thursday was apprised that monsoon rains in the city and rainwater flowing down from the mountains causes urban flooding. Moreover, during the downpours, the water coming from Lath Dam used to be released in the Malir River through the Mehran Drain but the construction of the M-9 motorway has blocked the way. The meeting was also informed that certain residential projects lying over the natural waterway and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's (KMC) failure to carry out the timely cleaning of drains create additional problems every year.

Shah directed the Malir deputy commissioner to demolish the illegal constructions and encroachments at Mehran Drain and constituted a committee comprising Irrigation Department, KMC and Cantonment Board officials to prepare a feasibility report and submit within 30 days.

When the meeting was informed about the threat of K-Electric's (KE) Karachi Development Authority Grid Station being flooded during the last monsoon rains, Shah directed KE authorities to formulate a plan for the safety of its installations and share it with Sindh government.

He also directed the relevant officers to write a letter to the National Highway Authority to widen the motorway culverts.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2020.