KARACHI: All sorts of encroachments on and along the embankments of Gujjar Nala would be dismantled and removed to restore the 13-kilometre-long storm water drain to its original width of 60 feet, said Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator Laeeq Ahmed on Sunday.

He said in a press statement that the encroachers who had built houses and cattle pens in the drain’s bed near Café Piyala had been issued an ultimatum to remove illegal structures by Monday as the civic agency planned to start anti-encroachment operation in the drain on Tuesday.

He said that thousands of illegal structures had been constructed in the drain which created hindrances to smooth flow of rainwater in the event of heavy rains, resulting in chokes, overflow and flooding in the area on either sides of the Nala. He said that at present various storm water drains including Chakore Nala, Soldier Bazaar Nala, PECHS Nala, Mahmoodabad Nala, Orangi Nala etc. were being cleaned up so that they could easily carry rainwater down to the sea without inundating the city.

The administrator urged citizens not to throw garbage and solid waste into the storm drains as it had narrowed down the waterway and rendered it incapable of draining out rainwater in the event of heavy rains.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2016