Monsoon lessons: Do Talwar being dug up for new drains

Work to take a month and cost Rs15 million.

KARACHI: The roundabout at Two Swords or Do Talwar is being dug up by the city government to lay storm-water drains under several roads to Nehr-e-Khayyam.

The four-feet tall and three-feet deep drain is being laid to channel storm-water from Shahrah-e-Iran, Hatim Alvi Road and Zamzama Boulevard. The work started on October 2 and will take a month.

The architecture and design of the drain is being undertaken by Nespak and one of the city government’s internal contract consultants, Nadeem Ansari.

The drain is being constructed as a conduit, covered from all corners but with perforations to let the water enter. It will need regular maintenance to keep it from being clogged up by dirty and street garbage.

Beside constructing the drain, Shahrah-e-Iran, Hatim Alvi Road and other adjoining roads would be brought up to its level so that water will no long accumulate on them. “The drain will be able to take 60 to 70 millimetres of water but if the rains go over this limit and if the sea is in high tide, the drain will not work,” said the DO. Often if there is a high tide, water backs in to Nehr-e-Khayyam.

The executive district officer for works and services, Altaf G Memon, told The Express Tribune that this was part of work to address a problem of missing drains at certain vulnerable spots, particularly beside underpasses and flyovers. The Two Swords area is among those areas that were identified. The drain will cost Rs15 million and is part of a CDGK scheme to improve and rehabilitate the road and lay drains from Park Towers to Do Talwar.

Works and Services DO Sikandar Ali Afghan, who is in charge of the project, assured that the landmark monument, which was built in the 1970s, would not be hurt because the drain runs around it at a distance of approximately 16 feet. Architect Saleem Thariani recommended that the drain should be completely waterproofed as seeping water could possibly be dangerous for the historical monument. For his part, Karachi water system expert Dr Noman Ahmed of NED University said that he would have to visit the site to comment. “[But] the construction of a drain beside any structure should be made waterproof,” he said. “Otherwise water may seep out.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2011.