KARACHI, Aug 8: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan has expressed the confidence of giving a clean city to Karachiites on August 13, on the eve of Independence Day.
Addressing the Town Nazims and TMOs in connection with the ongoing 10-day campaign here on Friday, the Nazim pointed out that objective of the drive was to make the city clean so that people could take a sigh of relief after recent rains.
He thanked the Nazims of towns and union councils, civic organizations and other departments for making the campaign a success despite resource constraints.
Mr Naimatullah directed the city government departments, including KWSB, to take immediate steps on the pointation by Nazims so that required targets could be attained in time.
He informed the meeting about his Thursday’s briefing to President Musharraf and claimed that the president had appreciated the work being done.
The Town Nazims apprised Mr Naimatullah of the steps being taken during the campaign and drew his attention towards the problems being faced. The foremost problems, included deficient financial resources and bursting of 25-year-old sewerage lines because of heavy rains. They said that in some towns even 24-inch-dia sewerage lines had sunk and as a result rain and sewerage water was overflowing in those areas.
The Nazim was also informed about the shortage of sanitary workers and kundi men while deficiency in machinery was met with the hiring of equipment. In this regard, they said that the amount of Rs0.3 million given by City Nazim to each town proved quite helpful.
They said that attention was being focussed on lifting of garbage, disposal of water, improvement of sewerage lines, filling of potholes on roads and cleaning of drains and nullahs.
It was pointed out that some towns had planned to give cash awards to the staff involved in cleanliness drive for their encouragement.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Nazims and TMOs of Keamari, SITE, Baldia, Orangi, North Nazimabad, New Karachi, Gulberg, Liaquatabad, Gadap, Saddar, Jamshed Town, Gulshan-i- Iqbal, Shah Faisal, Korangi, Landhi, Malir towns, Convenor of Committee Dr Ali Nawaz Shaikh, Secretary Najmuddin Sikandar, city government officials, and members of cantonment boards.
Meanwhile, the sub-committee, constituted under the directives of City Nazim, inspected the cleanliness and health campaign work in Lyari, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Jamshed towns the other day. The sub-committee members, including Dr Syed Nusrat, Saeed Ghani, Khalid Javed and Zafar Ihsan visited different parts of the said towns and inspected the ongoing cleanliness work there.
GULSHAN TOWN: During the visit to Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town, the sub-committee was told that 1,500 tons of garbage had been removed from the town so far. They were further informed that more garbage was being disposed off round the clock from the town, while fallen trees were also being removed from different places in the town.
The sub-committee members observed that electricity poles were being erected at Safora Goth roundabout near Kiran Hospital. However, the sub-committee directed the town officials to make the complaint centre more active.
LYARI TOWN: The town officials of Lyari, worse- hit by recent rains, asked the committee for more cooperation and provision of covers for manholes.
The sub-committee, during their visit, observed that rainwater from Shah Waliullah Road had been completely drained out, while the rainwater at Agra Taj was being drained out. However, the town officials informed the sub-committee that the town needed proper drainage system for rainwater to achieve better results.
JAMSHED TOWN: The sub-committee observed that the garbage, lying in front of GPO Patel Para, had been removed. The concerned staff was asked to concentrate more on removing garbage and filling potholes developed on roads by the heavy rains.
SADDAR TOWN: Meanwhile, the municipal administration of Saddar Town announced that about 900 tons of garbage had been removed from various areas of the town during the cleanliness drive.
According to the press release, Saddar Town Nazim Farooq Memon Fariya along with TMO Khalid Mahmood Shaikh and other officials visited I.I. Chundrigar Road, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Jubilee, Dharamseewara, Nanakwara, Usmanabad and Garden areas and supervised the cleanliness work.
It stated that the work to fill potholes on roads had been going on at a faster pace at Lucky Star, Saddar, Dr Daudpota Road, Abdullah Haroon Road and Siddiq Wahab Road.
The statement further pointed out the gardens department had started renovation after cleanliness work at the parks, roundabouts and green-belts.
It said that a special cleanliness drive would commence from Aug 9, during which special teams would remove posters and wall chalkings.—APP/PPI
