KARACHI: While the monsoon rains ended around two weeks ago, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday directed the city and town authorities to carry out ‘immediate’ repair and reconstruction of the rain-hit roads in the metropolis.

Presiding over a meeting at CM House, the chief minister expressed concern over the widespread damage caused to inner roads during recent monsoon rains, noting that poor drainage infrastructure had worsened the problem.

He instructed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and town administrations to prepare schemes under the supervision of the local government department for rehabilitation works.

“Every damaged road must either be repaired or completely reconstructed, and no scheme will be approved without a parallel drainage plan,” he said.

The chief minister also linked better road infrastructure to improved urban mobility, economic activity, and citizen welfare. “Karachi is the country’s economic backbone; its infrastructure must reflect this reality,” he added.

Weeks after monsoon rains, KMC and towns still conducting surveys of damaged roads, meeting told

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab briefed the meeting that a survey of damaged KMC roads was underway.

The local government minister said that town administrations had also been tasked with conducting their own road surveys. Once completed, the schemes will be submitted for CM’s approval, he added.

Mr Shah also directed the local government department to intensify cleanliness operations across the city, stressing that better sanitation and road conditions were essential for Karachi’s liveability.

“We cannot allow rainwater stagnation or overflowing sewage to undermine our development efforts,” he remarked.

The chief minister noted that lessons must be learned from past monsoon seasons, and proactive measures, including durable road construction, coordinated drainage networks, and timely municipal services, were the only way forward.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Syed Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani and Jam Khan Shoro, Mayor Wahab, Principal Secretary Agha Wasif, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi and Local Government Secretary Waseem Shamshad.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2025