Sewage spills over in city’s red zone

Sewage could reach Bilawal House if immediate steps not taken, Saddar TMA provides 10 pumps to help.

KARACHI: Obstructions in the sewerage system have caused the city’s waste to spill out onto the avenues in the red zone just two days before Eid.

Stinking, dirt-brown water has collected on several roads including Aiwan-e Saddar Road, Barah Darri and Haqqani Chowk near Saddar town municipal administration, Jodia Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Pakistan Chowk, Shahrae Liaquat and Bath Island.

The Saddar TMA has taken note of the messy situation since the Karachi Water and Sewage Board (KWSB) does not have sufficient funds to deal with the spillage on its own. However, the board has bought four diesel-operated pumps to direct the 24 million gallons of sewage towards another station as an interim arrangement.

While talking to The Express Tribune, KWSB chief engineer (technical and mechanical) Zaheer Abbas Zaidi said that the board received complaints on Sunday night about sewage on the roads. The board has deployed pumps on Aiwan-e Saddar Road, Haqqani Chowk, Pakistan Chowk and Bath Island and some of the sewage has been removed.

KWSB chief engineer of the Clifton Cantonment Board sewage pumping station Arif Khan said the Saddar TMA had provided 10 pumps. However, till the diesel-operated pumps are installed, it seems unlikely the situation will come under control. It is feared the sewage could reach Bilawal House if immediate steps to divert it are not taken. According to Khan, the diesel pumps will be installed around Tuesday morning.

Zaidi said that two pumps were installed temporarily on Aiwan-e Saddar Road and in Bath Island with the help of the City District Government Karachi.

However, the problem is not over yet. He added that the board has made diversions and 4,000 gallons were being drained into a sewage drain located in Hijrat Colony. Another diversion was made towards Jamila pumping station.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2010.