HYDERABAD: Sindh Informa­tion Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that all big encroachments have been removed from storm drains in Karachi and Hyderabad while measures are being taken to demolish other hurdles.

He was presiding over a meeting of officials of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) and the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) on Wednesday in the old district nazim secretariat to oversee arrangements in view of rain forecast in Hyderabad division.

He asked the officials to complete all arrangements for drainage of rainwater, keeping in mind last year’s bitter experiences. He said leave of absence of subordinate staff should be cancelled and they should be present in the field to check rain-related damage.

He directed the Hyderabad deputy commissioner to visit low-lying areas of the city along with HMC and Wasa officials and monitor arrangements being made to meet rain emergency. He added that the Wasa MD should have efficient use of all available resources.

He said all pumping machines and generators should be made functional and sufficient fuel should be made available so that in case of a power breakdown, machines could keep functioning. He said funds in this regard were being released. He asked irrigation officials to reduce water flows in canals that are passing through the city so that canal water did not enter areas of the city in case of rain and rainwater could be drained out into canals.

He called for team work during rain emergency. He asked Hesco officials to provide electricity to pumping stations of Wasa to help ensure early disposal of rainwater.

He said the HMC administrator should ensure that heaps of garbage were removed from different loca­lities which otherwise block­ed flow of rainwater into drains.

The meeting was informed that a rain emergency cell had been set up in the office of the deputy commissioner and staff would be available in the cell round the clock. Divisional Commissioner Jamal Mustafa Syed told the meeting that in view of rain forecast, there was no reason that rain-related measures should not be taken.

Earlier, the minister told reporters that last year bags stuffed with soil had been found in the drainage system which had made disposal of rainwater difficult, but this year the commissioner had taken measures before monsoon rains and demolished big encroachments from drains which were desilted, he said.

He said that mega projects would be launched to address drainage issues because such matters were always hit by lack of planning. Repair of roads would be started soon, he added.

He urged people to avoid occupying storm drains. He said Hesco and K-Electric recovered billions of rupees from consumers but did not invest it in the upkeep of the infrastructure which always linked to power breakdown even in case of a shower.

He said the accused in case of Khairpur incident would be arrested and women would be provided justice.

In response to a question, he said political matters should be handled politically and that was why all political forces opposed invocation of Article 245 by the federal government.

He apprehended a clash between people and the army during a sit-in of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Aug 14. He said that since the army was engaged in an operation against terrorists, they should not be involved in political issues.

He said the last PPP government had handled a long march by Nawaz League and a sit-in by Tahir-ul-Qadri politically. He said that the operation against terrorists should have been launched earlier.

He said the PPP neither supported PTI’s call for a sit-in nor did it back the PML-N’s use force to stop it. He said the prime minister should avoid taking wrong advice from his ministers and show political acumen.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014