CM orders cleaning of KMC, DMC nullahs

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the Local Government Department on Friday to devise a detailed plan to clean 555 nullahs in Karachi under the same rehabilitation model as adopted for cleaning Mehmoodabad nullah, Gujjar nullah and other natural stormwater drains.

Of the nullahs that are to be cleaned, 41 are under the jurisdiction of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and 514 fall under the district municipal corporations (DMCs).

Presiding over a Provincial Coordination and Implementation Committee meeting, Murad said, "The model adopted to clean Mehmoodabad and Gujjar nullahs was a complete package, under which not just encroachments along the nullahs were removed, but affected persons were also compensated and roads were constructed along stormwater drains’ embankments."

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He stressed that the same model needed to be employed for the cleaning of KMC nullahs and DMCs' nullahs so that the issue of urban flooding could be resolved once and for all.

Besides, the meeting was told that the anti-encroachment drive along Mehmoodabad nullah was initiated on January 4, 2021 and encroachments across a length of 7.5 kilometres of either side of the nullah were cleared. As many as 59 cheques were to be given to affected persons in compensation and of those, 49 have been distributed, the participants of the meeting were further informed.

Briefing the meeting, Karachi commissioner Naveed Ahmed Shaikh said of 514 nullahs under DMCs, the cleaning of 298 had been started.

According to him, the cleaning of DMC nullahs will cost around Rs430 million and of the KMC's resources, DMCs will utilise Rs119 million for the purpose.

"We need Rs316 million more," he said.

At that, the CM directed Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah to submit a request for the release of funds.

Meanwhile, NED University of Engineering and Technology Dr Sarosh Lodhi informed the meeting that a detailed survey report on Manzoor Colony nullah and its distributaries, Gujjar nullah and its distributaries and Orangi nullah had been submitted and another report on 25 nullahs was being prepared.

He said the Hub drain had 37 intercepting structures and suggested that its width be expanded from the existing 10 feet to 25 feet to cater to the expected flow.

Similarly, he said, Essa Nagri drain had 68 intercepting structure and the widening of its bed had also been proposed. He added that since Madina Colony drain had 103 intercepting structures, he had not just proposed widening the bed, but also its maintenance.

The VC further recommended lining Moach Goth drain, which had 76 intercepting structures, Haroonabad drain, which had 26 intercepting structures, and Pitcher nullah, which had 30 intercepting structures.

"Lining these nullahs will resolve hydraulic accessibility issues," he said.

Dr Lodhi, calling to mind that Saadi Town was inundated during heavy rains last year when rainwater overflowed on the Super Highway, suggested the construction of a nullah in the area to discharge excess water from Saadi Town into the Lyari River.

At that, the CM directed the Local Government Department to chalk out a detailed plan for the restructuring of nullahs, as suggested by Dr Lodhi.

Gujjar nullah

Moreover, the meeting was informed that a survey revealed that 3,957 structures had been removed along Gujjar nullah, which extends across a length of 12.6kms.

The removal of soft encroachments along the nullah was carried out between February 8, 2021 and February 18, 2021, and a drive for the removal of the remaining structures has been under way since February 19, the meeting was told.

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Of 3,957 cheques that were to be distributed among persons affected by the drive, 3,587 have been disbursed and the remaining were being given as well.

Orangi nullah

In relevance to Orangi nullah, the meeting was informed that 1,103 had been identified for removal along its embankments in West district, where it covers a length of six kilometres.

While soft encroachments have been cleared, the removal of other structures began this month. As many as 193 structures have been along 1.6kms of the nullah's length in Keamari district.

Under the resettlement support initiative, compensation cheques are being distributed among the affected people, the meeting was told.