KARACHI, June 19: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has warned that 95 per cent of the city may get flooded with sewage in the next two years if concrete measures are not taken for the proper disposal of sewage through seven main nullahs (storm-water drains), which are heavily encroached upon.

“The entire sewerage system of Karachi was running on seven main nullahs, which were not cleaned for the last many years due to heavy encroachment. The left and right banks of all the seven nullahs are illegally occupied in a manner that our vehicles and machinery could not go there to perform the de-silting task,” said the nazim while talking to newsmen on Tuesday during a visit to Manzoor Colony where the cleaning and de-silting work of a storm-water drain was under way.

The seven storm-water drains are Gujjar nullah, City Railway nullah, Manzoor Colony nullah, Orangi nullah, Pichchar nullah, Korangi nullah and Soldier Bazaar nullah.

He said billions of rupees, being spent on several water and sewerage projects in the metropolis, would go waste in the absence of a proper system for sewage disposal.

Mr Kamal said, “The city may face a catastrophe as the ground level of the seven nullahs has increased with mud due to encroachment on the left and right banks of the storm-water drains. There are chances that sewerage water might overflow or return causing a flood-like situation in the streets and houses of Karachi,” he added.

In order to avoid any disaster, he said, the city government had planned construction of a 24-foot-service lane on either bank of the seven storm-water drains so that heavy machinery could reach there and perform the de-silting task.

The nazim said the city government would remove all unauthorised structures from the banks of these drains.

“It is now in the interest of all residents not to allow anyone to encroach upon the land along the nullahs,” he added.

He said the city government could not wait anymore, as this was a matter of concern for every citizen.

“We have to remove encroachment and I appeal to all the citizens to help the city government in achieving this task.”

Promising to offer alternative plots to all those who possess lease documents, the nazim expressed the hope that people would not resist the anti-encroachment campaign.

About the Manzoor Colony nullah, he said storm water from five towns went into that nullah but it had been chocked with mud and silt. In case of heavy rains or in the next couple of years, the choked nullah would cause a flood-like situation in Manzoor Colony and its surrounding areas including Mehmoodabad, Azam Basti, Akhtar Colony, Kashmir Colony, Defence View and Administration Society.

Mr Kamal said the city government was carrying out a survey before launching the anti-encroachment drive for which the Sindh government’s support would also be sought.