The Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) administration has claimed that 90% of rainwater has been drained out from Clifton and DHA areas. Following Friday’s heavy rain, CBC teams continued their efforts on Saturday, focusing on cleaning secondary roads such as Cross Avenue, Shehbaz Street, Commercial Avenue 4, etc.
Assistant Engineer Imran Ahmed Khan, head of storm water at CBC, told the media that Clifton and some low-lying areas of DHA often experience waterlogging during winter and monsoon rains. Despite the recent rains, there was minimal deterioration reported. However, due to water flowing from the elevation of Cross Avenue Khayaban-e-Shahbaz towards the decline, rainwater accumulated in certain areas.
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Khan added that the second-highest rainfall in the city was recorded at 41mm in Clifton and DHA. The spell between 6pm and 7pm on Friday caused 33mm of rain in just one hour. He noted that during the recent rainfall, over 1,300 staff members were engaged in drainage work, with 250 people specifically trained for emergency situations. More than 150 pumps, ranging from 5.5 to 75 horsepower, were utilised for the drainage operations.
Unlike previous instances where rainwater discharged took three to four days, this time it was cleared within three to four hours. The drainage work continued until 4:30 in the morning on Saturday on Khayaban-e-Shahbaz, with 90% completion of the water extraction work.
Khan further revealed that the first phase of the storm water drainage project has concluded. Although the project is not yet connected to its system and has not reaped the benefits of the recent rains, it is expected to become operational after the completion of the rain drain project in the next monsoon.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2024.
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