KARACHI: Towns’ bungling in draining rainwater exposed
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 4: The city’s sewerage system, which has already completed its life span in most localities, has been badly damaged owing to the draining out of stagnant rainwater from roads and streets into sewerage lines, instead of flushing it into stormwater drains.
The staff concerned of different town administrations’ — in their bid to remove stagnant rainwater from the roads of their respective jurisdictions — had flushed it into sewerage lines by either removing manhole covers, or by making wide openings in the concrete/iron slabs of gutters, as a result of which complaints concerning overflowing sewerage lines and gutters have become a matter of routine in most parts of the city.
Voicing concern over the damage caused to the city’s sewerage system by the health and roads departments’ staffs of different town administrations’ during the recent rains, the KWSB’s deputy managing director (technical services) has written strongly worded letters to the nazimeen of all town administrations’, apprising them of such ‘uncalled for’ and ‘illegal’ acts of their subordinate staff during the rains, which the city received on Monday last.
Sindh Governor Mohammadmian Soomro and City Nazim Naimatullah Khan have also been informed about the damage caused to the sewerage system by sending them copies of the letters written to the nazimeen of town administrations.’
Terming the act of draining out rainwater in sewerage lines instead of flushing as ‘sabotage’, the KWSB’s DMD in the letter has inter alia stated that “due to (the) above unwarranted and unauthorized action on the part of subordinate staff of (the) roads/health department, the surface of roads/streets has been dried up. On the other hand, all floating material/garbage/sand/ debris etc, has been allowed into sewerage pipelines by lifting the manhole covers and damaging the manholes. Such (a) rescue operation of saving damage to roads from stagnant rainwater (has) intentionally or unintentionally proved to be a sabotage activity to choke/silt up sewerage pipelines, which are now (in) serious trouble. The adverse effects of such highhandedness with (the) sewerage system would last for a long time in (the) shape of sewerage overflows and overloading the pipe network, resulting (in) the collapse of pipes.
Elaborating on the subject, the KWSB — through the letter — requested nazimeen of all towns to keep a watch on such elements of their administrations, because the sewerage system was a public concern.
It was further pointed out in the letters that the “KWSB’s manpower would face serious repercussions/public pressures for (the) disorderly system on this count, and on the other hand, the public of Karachi would suffer sewerage overflows/health hazards at no fault of theirs, but only due to the hurriedness shown for (the) quicker disposal of rainwater into sewerage pipelines because the clogged stormwater drains were filled, and would have to take (a) longer time to dispose the surface water.”
During a visit to different parts of the city, one could see that the concerned staff of the town administrations’ had not even bothered to recover some of the manholes which they had either removed or broken to drain out rainwater in sewerage lines. Hence, these open manholes might become death traps for pedestrians and children in particular, and for motorcyclists in general.
