Deluge from 342mm rainfall drained out in 24 hours: CM

Says city, except low-lying areas, was cleared by July 11 evening

KARACHI:

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the city received a record rain of 342.4mm between July 10 (from 8pm to July 11 upto 2pm) even then the rainwater was disposed of as and when the rain stopped.

"But some so-called champions of the city are accusing the provincial government of its failure to drain out the accumulated rainwater, as a matter of fact the city was cleared, except the low-lying areas by the evening of July 11." This he said while addressing a press conference at CM House. Provincial Ministers, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Imtiaz Shaikh, Syed Nasir Shah, Advisor to CM Rasool Bux Chandio were present on the occasion.

Shah said that in 2007 the city had received 140mm rainfall and over 200 people had died. In July 2009 rains, Shah said, city had received 200mm rainfall which had claimed over 52 lives. Shah, showing a slide of some newspapers of 150mm rainfall in August 2020, said seven people had died and the city had turned into a gigantic cesspool. On the contrary the city received 342.4mm rain up to 2pm on July 12, but despite record downpour the rainwater disposed of within 24 hours. "Our teams comprising provincial ministers, advisors and government officers suctioned out water from the depressions, low-lying areas and from the underpasses with the help of machinery and pumps."

Causes of urban flooding

The CM said that people slaughter sacrificial animals on the roads. "The district central has the largest number of slaughters in the country," he said and added the Solid waste management had started lifting the offal when the rain started, therefore the lifting [the offal] work was stopped, and the backlog emerged and now it has been cleared.

The CM said that various areas such as Saadi Town, areas of cantonments have been constructed on the natural waterways which have blocked the natural flow of rainwater in gravity. He added that the local government office at Tughlaq House was built on the stormwater drain, similarly, the parking of the Ombudsman, Supreme court, Shaheen Complex, and a media house were built on the stormwater drain. "I have not built or allowed these encroachments on the nullah but yes, I'll talk to the cabinet and if they allow me I would bulldoze the Local government department office on the nullah and then request the others to follow the course," he said.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2022.