KARACHI: The Sindh chief secretary has directed the authorities of Hesco, Sepco and K-Electric to ensure availability of electricity for dewatering arrangements during monsoon.

Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah issued these directives in a meeting on monsoon contingency plan 2019 held at Sindh Secretariat on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by a senior member Board of Revenue, Sukkur mayor, Karachi commissioner, Hyderabad commissioner, Sukkur commissioner, Larkana commissioner, irrigation secretary, works and services secretary and representatives of Pak Army, Navy, police, PDMA, KMC, Hesco, Sepco, K-Electric and other officers concerned.

Briefing the meeting, the PDMA director general said a contingency plan had been prepared by PDMA.

Referring to expected rainfall in the country as a whole for monsoon 2019 (July to September), he said it was likely to remain near normal.

Normal to above normal rainfall is expected in upper half of Pakistan due to strong incursion of monsoon currents and their interaction with westerly weather system.

“Extreme weather events are expected during the period and may cause flooding in rivers and [their] adjoining tributaries,” the official said.

There are threats of riverine floods caused by snow melting, heavy rainfall in upper catchment area of major rivers, urban floods caused by heavy rain, flooding in the LBOD, overflow of LBOD and flash flood caused by extreme rainfall in Khirthar/Koh-i-Suleman Range.

All divisional commissioners informed the meeting participants about plans they have prepared for their respective divisions and districts. The Karachi commissioner said that there were 30 drains which posed threats of overflowing during the monsoon.

“Encroachments are being removed from the drains.”

The PDMA has been asked to increase the number of dewatering pumps for Karachi from 40 to 100.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2019