DHA prepares for future monsoon rains

Advance drainage system is designed for the next 100 years

KARACHI:

The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) is set to complete the first phase of its monsoon rain drainage project, the 49km-long storm water drainage system, by June 2023.

The drainage system is designed with forecasted rainfall data for the next 100 years in view, and six additional outfalls equipped with power pumps are being constructed to channel rainwater into the Mahmoodabad drain and the sea. The decision to construct a storm water drainage system was made in response to the emergency situation arising from the abnormal rains of the monsoon seasons in 2020 and 2022.

According to the DHA administration reports that the project is fast to approach its completion and was launched in September 2022. A 1.5-meter-deep and 2.5-meter-wide storm drain in the 74-km-long project will pass under the paved road of Tar Coal, and the project is expected to take a year and a half to complete.

The project is four times larger than the previous drainage system, which considered the 100 years of rainfall data in their design. The completion of the project is expected to bring relief from previous experiences for the residents who have suffered from flooding during monsoon season.

The project is divided into two phases and the areas that were heavily affected during the monsoon rains of 2020 and 2022 were given priority in the first phase. Shattering of the main drain is still ongoing at the drainage project while roofs of link and interceptors are being prepared at the batching plant.

A laboratory has also been set up by the consultant to check the raw material and its quality. DHA reports that there have been many challenges faced during the completion of this project, including landslides during excavation, relocation of clean drinking water lines, and transfer of underground services lines to another place by K-Electric and Sui Southern Company.

The process of replacing old sewage lines and clean drinking water lines with new ones is also ongoing. Meanwhile, there was a negative impact on the ongoing works due to the recent increase in the prices of iron and cement, the issue was largely overcome.