CM irked over PDMA performance
According to data released by the PDMA, 14 people were killed in rain-related accidents in Karachi. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar during a rain emergency meeting at CM House decided to issue displeasure letters to the Deputy Inspector General of Police and Director General of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) for failing to respond in time. As a result, the public suffered losses.
CM Baqar, as the incumbent chief executive of the province, has put all the civic agencies and local bodies, PDMA, traffic police, and the water and sewerage corporation on high alert to deal with heavy rains.
He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Minister Information Ahmad Shah, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, IG Police Riffat Alam, Commissioner Karachi Saleem Rajput, Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation CEO Engr Salahuddin.
Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab briefing the chief minister said that it was a cloud bust in the city which inundated main traffic arteries. He added that he along with CEO Water Board Salahuddin visited various stormwater drains which were partially chocked with plastic shopper bags.
He told the CM said that Shahrah-e-Faisal, particularly the area of the nursery, Drigh Road, and Old City areas, II Chundrigar Road some major nullas were not flowing at the required capacity, therefore he not only got them cleared but installed water board machinery to pump out stagnant water from the low lying areas.
The CM took serious notice of the absence of DIG traffic when all the traffic was blocked almost on all the main arteries of the city. He added that traffic police failed to manage the traffic in time, therefore the people of the city have suffered a lot.
Baqar directed the Inspector General of Police, Riffat Mukhtar to issue a letter to the DIG Traffic and convey him his displeasure. "I am not happy with traffic management in the city, particularly on Saturday evening," he said.
Mayor told the CM that presently all the main arteries of the city were clear and traffic was plying smoothly, however, dewatering work was in in progress in some areas. The drainage system was being improved by clearing the gutters and conduits.
During the meeting, it was observed that PDMA failed to respond in time. They sent the pumping and other machines very late, therefore water could not be drained out from the low-lying areas well in time. The CM said that the Director General of PDMA should have been present on the roads to help the local bodies.
The CM directed his secretariat to issue a letter of displeasure to the DG PDMA and directed him to ensure the provision of functional machinery to the local bodies.
In the meeting, it was also noticed that most of the town chairmen failed to serve their areas during the rain emergency. The CM said that it was unacceptable, and all the elected local bodies chairmen and councillors must serve the people of their areas in close coordination with other agencies. He directed Mayor Karachi to coordinate with all the Town chairmen so that issues of this city could be resolved, particularly in such emergencies as Saturday heavy rain.
The CM was told that DSP Ferozabad Shabir Sarki was actively working at Tariq Road and was helping the people during heavy rain. The CM directed the IG Police to issue him [DSP] an appreciation letter.
Earlier, the chief minister visited the Control room established in the Commissioner's Office where Commissioner Karachi Saleem Rajput briefed the chief minister about the rain emergency measures and preparation for the February 8 general elections.
The chief minister, after visiting the commissioner's Office, went to CPO where he visited the Command & Control Room. IG Police Riffat Mukhtar through CCTV live coverage showed him different areas where either the water had accumulated, or cleared or water board, solid waste management and KMC m, machinery and the staff were working.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2024.