FWO’s help sought for storm drains survey

With the first spell of monsoon rains having already come and gone, the authorities in Hyderabad appear to be making frantic efforts to desilt eight stormwater drains choked with sludge, solid waste and encroachments

To this end, Hyderabad commissioner Muhammad Abbass Baloch sought help from the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) on Friday, before executing the cleaning and desilting exercise for the drains, which span over 19 kilometres.

"It is requested to please depute an expert team of FWO officials to carry out the technical survey of the nullahs and provide expert opinion for cleaning these so that work may be started immediately," read his letter addressed to the 18th division headquarters in Hyderabad. "This may be treated as most urgent and important."

Baloch added that the provincial government had allocated a sum of Rs40 million for Hyderabad for the purpose. It is pertinent to note that the district administration had requested Rs200 million, as required by Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) and Qasimabad and Tandojam municipal committees.

The letter further cited the Pakistan Meteorological Department's forecast of heavy downpours which may lead to urban flooding. "Preceding patterns during the monsoon reflect that even an average rainfall had proven overwhelming for the drainage system and inundated low lying areas," wrote Baloch.

It has already been over a month since the deputy commissioner began prodding WASA and HMC to clean the drains, but the organisations turned to bickering over the division of responsibility while awaiting funds. The former had demanded Rs130 million if it was to be saddled with the responsibility, which lay with the HMC before 2016.

While the FWO's survey will likely start in a few days if approved, the district administration and WASA have already begun desilting some of the drains in Hyderabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2020.