HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party’s Hyderabad mayor Kashif Shoro was called out on Thursday by his own party colleague over the mayor-led Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s ‘worst performance’ during monsoon rains.

PPP district chapter’s information secretary Ahsan Abro said in a statement issued here on Thursday this time, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hecso) worked efficiently during rains, hence the corporation could not pass the buck to Hesco for inundation in the city in the wake of rains.

He said that Hesco provided uninterrupted supply of power during rains “but the performance of the municipal administration remains the worst ever”.

He said that roads in Qasimabad and adjacent colonies remained submerged in rainwater. “In past, HMC always took refuge behind ‘non-supply of electricity’ and heaped blame on Hesco management to absolve itself of any responsibility or failure during rains,” but Hesco deserved praise this time, he said.

He said that chief minister had released millions of rupees to divisional commissioner and Hyderabad city for rain emergency. The district administration and town municipal corporations remained missing from the scene, he said.

He claimed that Qasimabad, Latifabad and City had already been in bad shape since Wednesday but the situation aggravated from Thursday evening and raised questions over the use of millions of rupees released to TMCs in the city for machineries and fuel. Complaints were being received about non-utilisation of these funds, he said.

He urged the mayor and Hyderabad DC to take notice of the complaints and hold the officials accountable who failed to respond to rain emergency in the city.

Mayor responds

Mayor Kashif Shoro and Sindh government’s focal person for rain emergency in Hyderabad, Abdul Jabbar Khan, said at a press briefing at Shahbaz hall on Thursday that the administration had adequately handled rain emergency.

The mayor said that he himself was supervising drainage work in the city along with Khan who was also the CM’s special assistant. Over 100mm rainfall had been recorded in Hyderabad’s urban and rural areas so far, he said.

He praised Hesco for ensuring uninterrupted power supply which enabled pumping stations to keep working. Standby generators were also made available to dispose of rainwater in absence of regular electricity supply, he said.

He said that Sindh government was building a drain from Autobahn to Tando Yousuf to carry rainwater runoff. Hyderabad’s population was swelling but its infrastructure had not yet been developed to cope with its rising needs, he said.

He said that rainwater standing in low-lying areas was being drained and it would be cleared soon. Some encroachments on drains caused difficulties in desilting work, he said.

He said that sewerage problem would be resolved permanently after completion of Karo Ghanghro drain which was being built in the city’s outskirts to carry drainage water.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2024