KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to outsource the cleaning work of storm drains on urgent basis. “This is a serious matter and must be taken seriously.”

He also directed the local government minister to get the work on the Golimar underpass completed by June 30.

“I want to inaugurate this underpass on June 30. People of the area are facing serious traffic jam problems,” he said while presiding over a joint meeting of the KMC and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) held at CM House on Friday to review the on-going monsoon precautionary measures being taken in the city.

Provincial Ministers Syed Murad Ali Shah and Jam Khan Shoro, chief secretary Siddique Memon, principal secretary to the CM Alamuddin Bullo, local government secretary Noor Mohammad Leghari, Karachi commissioner Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi administrator Roshan Ali Shaikh, PDMA DG Salman Shah and others attended the meeting.

The chief minister said that he was surprised to see that the KMC and DMCs had no dedicated workers to clean drains and keep the city neat and clean.

“Only 200 dedicated workers are more than enough to take up the cleaning work, but sorry to say your cleaning works of drains always prove to be a photo session only; and this is a fact,” he deplored.

The chief minister said that garbage accumulated along the drains became the main reason for choking of drains. This must be taken to landfill sites, he added.

He directed the administrator and the commissioner of Karachi to outsource the cleaning work of storm drains on an emergency basis.

“Most reputable contractors or firms would love to do this job for the Sindh government,” he said.

The administrator said that there were about 30 big drains and most of them had been encroached upon. “Without removing these encroachments, their proper cleaning is not possible,” he said and added that he had taken up the cleaning task of three drains — Gujjar, Picher and Kalri — on an emergency basis.

Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro said that he had directed all local bodies, including the KMC, to declare emergency due to heavy rain forecast.

“We are ready and have mobilised our machinery and have activated emergency centres.”

He said he had outsourced the garbage lifting of DMC South. The garbage lifting would be carried out from the Garbage Transfer Stations to landfill sites. Its tenders had been issued and work was being awarded, he added. “I have also asked DMC Malir and Korangi to follow the course,” he said.

The commissioner said that he would start facelift of important spots, bridges and start repair work of some important roads in the city.

The chief minister directed the commissioner and administrators to develop close coordination between DCs concerned and administrators of DMCs for cleaning and development of the city.

He categorically said that he would remove the administrators and deputy commissioners who failed to deliver. “You DCs and DMCs are here to serve the people of your area. It is your prime duty to keep your areas clean. DCs and administrators of DMCs are joint signatories of their bills, therefore they are equally responsible for utilisation of funds in the pubic interests.”

The meeting participants were informed that on the directives of the Supreme Court, 750 billboards had been removed within the jurisdiction of the KMC.

The DG of PDMA said that he had already provided guidelines to all divisional and district administrations for formulation of monsoon contingency plan.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2016