The campaign to clean 38 nullahs in the city kicked off on Thursday, with the aim of completion in 45 days. The drive will cost $8 million under the World Bank’s (WB) Competitive and Liveable City of Karachi project.
Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar and Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah inaugurated the campaign in Mehmoodabad, where the latter stated that drain blockage was a major issue that the government was trying to resolve with the WB’s assistance.
Shah added that National Engineering Services Pakistan had also been taken on board to help with the disposal of garbage collected from the nullahs. “Billions of rupees have been spent on cleaning the drains, but the intended results have never been achieved,” said Shah. “We will try to ensure that the work is done properly this time around.”
Meanwhile, Akhtar pointed out that heavy rains were expected in Karachi in the upcoming monsoon season and the current situation was concerning given the threat of urban flooding.
The mayor requested citizens not to dump garbage in the drains, further asking the provincial government to order the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board to collect garbage from around the city.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2020.
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