July 01, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 26, 1429

KARACHI, June 30: Various garbage-cum-sludge filled major storm-water drains and over a dozen dug-up important thoroughfares of the city may result in flooding of roads and streets in the imminent monsoon season, causing havoc for motorists and pedestrians alike.

At a time when the clouds have already started gathering over the city and the rainy season is round the corner, de-silting and cleaning work of over 100 of the total 430 link storm-water drains and seven out of the 64 major nullahs of the city, is yet to be completed, sources said.

Seven of the major nullahs play a vital role in carrying the waste-water directly into the Lyari and Malir rivers (60 per cent of the city’s waste-water is channelled through the Lyari River and 40 per cent flows into the Malir River), from where it is finally disposed of into the Arabian Sea.

But since de-silting and cleaning work of a number of major nullahs of different towns, particularly those passing through Saddar, Shah Faisal, Jamshed and Liaquatabad towns, is still being carried out at a snail’s pace, the chances of flooding of roads and streets cannot be ruled out in the monsoon season.

Horrible flooding was witnessed last year at Sharea Faisal, particularly near Nursery, as well as in the Colony Gate area, Kharadar, Bath Island and Aiwan-i-Sadar Road, where the Governor’s House is situated, around the Metropole Hotel, I.I. Chundrigar Road, M.R. Kayani Road and various other major thoroughfares of North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, New Karachi, Garden East and West, mainly because a number of major drains such as the Soldier Bazaar, Gujjar, Railway Colony and Green Town nullahs, Mehmoodabad, Manzoor Colony and Nehr-i-Khayyam remained choked at numerous places.

A number of major nullahs have not yet been fully cleaned and de-silted mainly because they are either heavily encroached upon or covered, leaving no space for employing grab cranes and dumpers.