KARACHI, July 6: The Sindh Adviser on Local Bodies, Waseem Akhtar, on Wednesday said control rooms would be set up in all 18 towns of the city, which would be manned by city government officials round the clock to cope with any emergency during the expected monsoon rains. He was speaking at a press briefing after meeting officials of various civic bodies and the police regarding rain/flood emergency during the coming monsoon rains.
He said the meeting had decided to ensure regular and effective coordination between all utility agencies for ensuring required arrangements during the coming rains.
Apprising about decisions taken in the meeting, he said all concerned departments had been directed to ensure proper cleaning of stormwater drains, sewerage lines and placing covers over open manholes.
He said the TMOs had been directed to set up relief camps and medical camps in every town, so that in cases of any untoward situations during rains, the affected could be shifted to these relief camps.
He said garbage removed from stormwater and other drains during the ongoing cleaning campaign was still dumped on roadsides and it would be lifted from there within three days. Germicides would then be sprayed in the nearby areas of these drains, he added.
The adviser said an ambulance would be present in every fire brigade office of the city during the rain emergency.
He said the KESC had been directed to effectively participate in rain emergency activities and ensure round-the-clock liaison with the central control room at Civic Centre and also with the town control rooms.
He said the TMOs and officials present in town control rooms would be responsible for immediate reporting of fallen electric wires to the KESC and for their immediate repairs/replacements.
Regarding ongoing projects in the city, especially roads, he said he had directed concerned authorities for their early completion, so that the public could be facilitated.
“I myself will inspect the work pace of ongoing projects,” he added.
Mr Akhtar assured contractors that no excess would be committed with them and their payments would be made in time; however, they must maintain working standards in the ongoing projects and complete them before time.
He said the DIG Traffic had been directed to make a plan on war-footing basis for ensuring smooth flow of traffic during the emergency.
He said that traffic personnel would be deputed in the central control room on round-the-clock basis for maintaining proper liaison between the city government and the traffic police so that traffic jam problems could be solved.
He further said the city government would provide two suction pumps to every town, and the TMA would be responsible for their regular maintenance and proper utilization.
The city government Caretaker and DCO Karachi, Fazalur Rehman, chief fire officer and others were also present.
KWSB: Due to forecasts for above-average monsoon rains this year, the KWSB has put its engineers and staff of sewerage and pumping sections on high alert.
A meeting was held in this regard on Wednesday with the KWSB Managing Director, Iftikhar Haider, in the chair.
It was decided that water pumping stations should be closely monitored during rains, so that contaminated water was not mixed with clean potable water.
The KWSB MD also requested public to record their complaints on telephone nos 9231218 or 9231221 for their redressal.—PPI
