KARACHI, Aug 3: Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghouri has constituted a committee to look into the causes of the inundation of KPT underpass at Clifton and fix responsibility. The probe would be conducted under his direct supervision.

He announced this while inspecting underpass site while the work for draining out water was under way. He said KPT underpass was a gift to the provincial government from the Centre but its failure had raised alarms for KPT and his ministry. He said anyone found guilty would be blacklisted

Meanwhile, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has also constituted a high-level committee to ascertain reasons behind the accumulation of rainwater at in Bath Island, Clifton, Teen Talwar, Schon Circle and the adjoining localities.

The committee would be headed by a senior expert from private sector, a city government statement said on Thursday.

The nazim told newsmen at the site of the underpass that the city government had undertaken the remedial work on an emergency basis and the rainwater accumulated there would be flushed out by Thursday night.

He said that some people had encroached upon the Bath Island nullah, included it in their bungalows and built car parking, swimming pool and lawn, which had choked the nullah. On its part, the Karachi Port Trust said on Thursday that the Clifton underpass design had no fault and it was constructed with reinforced concrete in accordance with international standards. It does have a proper drainage system, it added.

Clarifying press reports regarding the inundation of the underpass, a KPT spokesman said in a statement that it was not correct to say that the underpass project was still incomplete and its design was faulty. The inbuilt pumping system was working when flooding occurred, he claimed.

However, he added, the pumping system was not meant to drain out water flowing into the project side from adjoining areas, which had their own drainage system.—PPI