KARACHI, Dec 3: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal on Sunday said that the accumulated rainwater on different thoroughfares and streets of the metropolis would be drained out in the next 24 hours if rain stopped.
Following the Sunday’s downpour, the city nazim has imposed emergency in various departments of the city government, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and in all the towns and union councils.
He paid a visit to different city localities particularly the low-lying areas including Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Orangi Town, Baldia Town, Lyari, Clifton, Mehmoodabad, Korangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir and Landhi to review the situation in the aftermath of rain.
He directed all town nazims to bring out all sanitary workers on roads to drain out the accumulated water from roads and streets.
The nazim admitted that rainwater was accumulated on different roads and streets of the city due to lack of proper drainage system. Mr Kamal said that water was not accumulated on all those roads, which were constructed by the present city government, as these roads were constructed with storm-water drains.
He asked the citizens to contact helpline 134 in case of any emergency.
DELEGATION: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, while addressing a 35-member delegation of journalists from Punjab at the dinner hosted for them late on Saturday night, said the city government had started Rs14 billion water and sewerage projects from its own resources in the last one year, PPI adds.
He said the city government also initiated work on road projects in different industrial zones with an estimated cost of Rs8 billion. He said the city government had taken Hercules task in different sectors during the last one year, including Rs1.5 billion project for provision of medical facilities to people.
He said the city government introduced a new culture by completing development projects in record time. “In the past, one flyover or bridge was completed in more then 11 years but this city government completed six mega projects in eight months while the project of 36 model schools is in final stages,” he added.
Besides, the city government also completed the country’s biggest park, Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim and 19 family parks in different localities of the metropolis. “It is our vision to provide maximum relief to the common man,” he added.
He said the population of Karachi was not less than that of 60 small countries. The city was generating 68 per cent revenue for national exchequer, he said.
He suggested delegates to visit different parts of the city and inquire about the development projects started by the present city government and they would know the true picture. “In the past, the city government had only placed appreciation banners and took cosmetic task. They announced billion of rupees different packages but not a single penny was spent on any sewerage project,” he said.
He said the present city government started water and sewerage projects worth Rs14 billion and replaced three to four decades old pipelines.
Mustafa Kamal said the Korangi had over 3,000 industrial units paying around Rs250 to Rs270 million taxes to federal government daily but they were deprived of basic infrastructure of sewerage pipelines. For the last 30 years, he said, the industrial area was without any sewerage system. He said that the lines were being replaced now, as all previous government did only cosmetic work.
He said the signal-free corridor with three underpasses and three flyovers from Sharea Faisal to SITE was to be completed in four years. But 60 per cent population of the city resided on this corridor, he said adding that they could not wait for long. “We have started round-the-clock work on all development projects to achieve the targets and completed six mega projects in eight months,” he said.
He said though four out of 18 towns belonged to opposition parties, all towns without any discrimination were provided equal share of Rs50 million for development projects in their respective areas.
Punjab Assembly Press Gallery Committee President Zaheer Shiraz, who headed the delegation, appreciated the city government’s work.
