KARACHI, Aug 7: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has ordered timely shifting of all people from the coastal belt and the districts vulnerable to floods to safe places.

He also asked the KBCA to immediately conduct a survey of all dangerous buildings in the city so that their occupants could be moved to some safe places until the monsoon was over. He impressed upon the KBCA to assure such people that the possession of the vacated buildings would be restored to them after the monsoon.

The governor issued these directives while presiding over a high-level meeting at the Governor’s House here on Monday. The meeting reviewed the situation arising out of the rains in Karachi and other parts of the province, and the measures being taken to counter the looming threat of floods in coastal and other vulnerable areas.

He particularly emphasised the need for reactivating the concerned departments in Katcha areas immediately.

Taking a serious notice of the inundation of the KPT underpass at Clifton, he asked the concerned authority to fix responsibility and ensure action against those responsible.

The governor described blocking of sewage channels by certain elements as ‘a criminal act’ that could not be tolerated.

He called for clearing all drains by dawn on Tuesday and flushing of sewage into Nehr-i-Khayyam. He said emergency measures be taken to drained out rainwater from Gulshan-i-Faisal, Bath Island, to provide relief to the area people.

He said that in certain cantonment areas where the concerned cantonment board did not have the required machinery, the city government would provide the same.

He also asked the cantonment boards that in view of the emergency situation, their officials should remain in the field and take necessary steps to drain out water from the FTC turning and from near the Empress Market.

He directed all public services institutions to remain alert round the clock and maintain a close coordination.The governor said that at the provincial and local level, all relief plans should be kept ready and at relief camps also, availability of all necessary facilities be ensured so that people living in dangerous buildings could be persuaded to move to the camps.

Besides ensuring alternate communication sources, he said, there was a need for close coordination among police, irrigation and all other relevant departments. He also stressed on effective patrolling along embankments and reactivation of health centres in the event of an emergency situation.

Earlier, the governor was briefed about the measures taken by the city district government to cope with any situation created by rains and flooding.

He was told that the Water Board had cleaned 70 per cent of the city’s storm-water drains which helped the city government drain out water and improve the situation in the old areas.

The relief commissioner briefed the governor about the steps to be taken at the city and provincial level in the event of floods hitting the city or other parts of Sindh.

Among those present at the meeting were Adviser Waseem Akhtar, Principal Secretary Mohammad Saleem Khan, Relief Commissioner Syed Anwar Haider, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Additional Chief Secretary Mirza Karim Baig, as well as officials from police, KPT, cantonment boards and the utilities including water, power, gas and telephone.