KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday said he was sure that the current system of rain would not cause any serious issue as ‘almost all the nullahs, small and big ones, including those constructed along the main arteries of the city, have been cleaned’.

Talking to the media during his visit to the metropolis, the chief minister assured the people of the city that he was making all-out efforts to drain out rainwater in minimum possible time.

“It has been raining since 5am, but our concerned officials and top bureaucracy, along with ministers, are on the roads to ensure proper disposal of rainwater,” he said.

The CM said that the people of this city had witnessed the performance, sincerity and commitment to serve them that’s why the previous spell of heavy downpour did not submerge the city, otherwise the city used to turn into a river, but now all the roads were motorable and water was draining either through its gravity or with the machines.

The chief minister along with his cabinet members and chief secretary inspected flow of the storm waters drains and installation of cesspool machines in the low-lying and old city areas, and directed administrator Karachi to install heavy pumping machines in the areas where water has accumulated.

CM Murad, accompanied by Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon and LG Secretary Najam Shah, visited various nullahs of the metropolis.

At the start of the visit, the chief minister reached at the nullah at Shaheen Complex and inspected its smooth flow right towards Clifton where he also got a cesspool installed at the road to dispose of accumulating water in the low-lying areas of the Ziauddin Road.

He then visited nullah at City station on I.I. Chundrigar road and then at Habib Bank Plaza, where the flow of nullah was slow, therefore, he directed to install a mobile pumping system to speed up the flow of the rain water.

Mr Shah directed the water boards to install two suction systems — one at the low-lying area of Tower and the other at the backside of the KPT warehouses — to keep disposing of the accumulating water in the sea towards Native Jetty as it was submerged due to the choked storm water drains running along the stock exchange building and KPT godowns.

He also visited different localities such as Imambargah Hussainian Iranian in Kharadar, Mithadar Lee Market and their adjoining areas and got sewerage pumping station installed and inspected proper disposal of the rainwater and smooth flow of the nullahs in Lyari.

Upon his return from Lyari, he reached Garden East and West areas and went to inspect underpasses at KPT and Submarine Chowrangi and inspected their dewatering system.

He also visited different nullahs passing through Sharea Faisal where the water board and other concerned staff was on duty.

Mr Shah visited Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Sindh, office where he was received by his Advisor on Relief Rasool Bux Chandio.

At the PDMA office, the chief minister was briefed about the rain monitoring system and rain gauge system installed there.

He was told that 41mm of rain was recorded at 18 different stations of the Met office. He was told that if the average rain in the North area of the city was calculated it would come to 68mm by 5:50pm.

He visited different areas of DHA and witnessed that rainwater had accumulated on different roads and streets, therefore, he directed administrator KMC to move cesspool and suction machines to DHA and get the accumulated water disposed of.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2022