Delays in desilting caused flooding in Karachi: Sindh CM

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah attributed the recent flooding in Karachi after rains to delays in desilting of nullahs and some drainage projects funded by the federal government.

He expressed these views during a whirlwind visit to Mirpurkhas, followed by another one to Hyderabad, to review the preparations for the upcoming monsoon spell starting on August 7.

During the visits, Shah admitted that desilting of the storm water drains in Karachi was delayed which led to the submersion of many areas after rainfall on July 26 and July 27.

Besides, the World Bank (WB) delayed the approval for lending money for the project for cleaning all 38 stormwater drains in Karachi, he reasoned.

He welcomed the federal government's help for cleaning some of the drains in Karachi and said that the Frontier Works Organization would be desilting three out of 38 drains in the metropolis.

Shah also said that some of the drainage schemes funded by the federal government in Karachi caused flooding.

Hyderabad

The CM recalled that most parts of Hyderabad were drowned after the monsoon rains in 2019. However, he put the larger blame for the flash flood, which kept a number of localities under water for weeks, on Hyderabad Electric Supply Company's (HESCO's) failure to supply electricity.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2020.