Mayor Murtaza Wahab, addressing a press conference at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Head Office on Friday, defended the corporation's performance during the recent spell of monsoon rains, stressing that the city's major drains had been cleaned in advance and helped in draining out more than 300 millimeters of rainfall.
He said Karachi has around 600 drains, of which 46 fall under KMC's jurisdiction, while the rest are managed by Town Municipal Administrations. "Water was not drained out by tankers but through the same channels that had been cleared. If Gujjar Nullah, Mehmoodabad Nullah, or Orangi Nullah had not been cleaned, adjoining areas would still be under water," he said, citing areas like Sharea Faisal, Tariq Road, Clifton, Gizri, and Gurumandir that cleared quickly due to these efforts.
Wahab said water drainage on roads such as Korangi Road, University Road, Rashid Minhas Road, and Sher Shah Suri Road was only possible because the relevant nullahs had been cleared. He highlighted that Yousuf Goth, historically devastated by rains, remained safe this year due to the construction of a new drain on the directives of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Taking aim at Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, the mayor said they were holding press conferences on clear roads only to spread negative propaganda.
He added that Town administrations under their control had already been given Rs27 billion, yet no acknowledgment was made of work done in places like Gulshan-e-Iqbal's Block 13-D, which remained dry.
Responding to criticism from Farooq Sattar, Wahab said: "As a former MNA, he should get the federal government to declare Karachi a disaster-hit city. Problems are not solved through words alone. During his tenure, the first allotment of New Karachi Nullah was carried out, and today he criticizes the very system he created."
The mayor admitted shortcomings in traffic management on the first day of heavy rains, saying that when Sharea Faisal was blocked, the entire city was affected. "I accept that traffic was mismanaged. Even I took two and a half hours to reach Nursery. For the three to four hours that citizens suffered, I apologize. The people's responsibility is mine, and I will not hide behind excuses of lacking authority."
Wahab said drains were also deliberately blocked in some areas as part of "conspiracies" to undermine his work. "My honor lies with Allah. I invite everyone to stop talking and start working together. Out of hatred for the PPP and the mayor, Karachi's image is being damaged, but I will not back away from responsibility."
Paying tribute to municipal and civic staff, he thanked sanitary workers, Water Corporation teams, solid waste management staff, police, traffic police, city wardens, and PDMA personnel for their efforts during the rains.
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