Cleanliness drive: Karachi needs new master plan, Sharjeel Memon

KARACHI:

Sindh Minister for Information and Local Government Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Friday that Karachi requires a new master plan for its roads.

“Most of the roads today are encroached upon by shopkeepers’ wares, pushcarts and other structures. Resultantly, people can only use 20 per cent of the road,” he said while issuing strict instructions to metropolitan commissioner about the removal of encroachments from all the arteries.

No cleanliness drive can succeed without people owning the city, he said. At least people should come out on the streets to clean up their localities. The campaign would continue until the whole province is cleaned of waste, encroachments and terrorism, the minister said.

“I must admit in front of the media that we cannot achieve the desired goals neither do we claim 100% cleanliness. However, I believe that with sincerity and good intention, by God’s grace, we will give it our best shot,” he said on the fifth day of ‘Clean, Green and Peaceful Sindh’ drive, after removing wall-chalking in Orangi Town and around FTC flyover on Shahrae Faisal.

MQM MPA Saifuddin Khalid, MNA Mehboob Alam, Managing Director Karachi Water & Sewerage Board Qutubuddin Sheikh, Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Shah, Administrator West Sajjad Ahmad Memon, Municipal Commissioner Ashfaq Mallah and other officers were also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in coordination with district municipal corporations removed a total of over 16, 000 tonnes of garbage from different areas of the city and dispatched it to the landfill sites during the last five days.

The municipal authority also performed fumigation with the help of 30 spray vehicles in the city, whereas colouring of trees, electric poles and pavements was also done in different areas of the city along with removal of wall-chalking and banners.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2015.