KARACHI, Nov 8: More than 40 spray vehicles were used in fumigation carried out in eight union councils of Baldia Town in wee hours. Baldia Town Nazim Kamran Akhtar, Naib Nazim Zahid Mehmood and TMO Ghulam Shabbir Jatoi inaugurated the drive.

Kamran Akhtar said that sprays were being conducted thrice a day across the town, while a 15-day long special cleanliness drive was also being carried at town level which would continue till Nov 17.

He said that complaint centres regarding dengue fever had been set up in each union council, and 20 handsets had been provided to the fumigation staff for better fumigation. The town nazim claimed that the situation of dengue fever was under control.

Meanwhile, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town Nazim Wasay Jalil in a press briefing said that the town was spending 75 per cent of its Rs1.0845 billion budget, the biggest among all the towns, on development schemes and within a year a network of development works had been laid with prudent utilisation of funds.

He said that after taking over the office in October last year, the town administration spent Rs200 million on development projects in five months, which was a record.

He said that the town had carried out high quality work at Sehba Akhtar, Alamgir and other roads out of its own resources and now Rs22.58 million were being spent on Sehba Akhtar Road and Rs50 million on construction of Alamgir Road.

He said that the underground KESC and PTCL cables as well as all obsolete sewerage and water pipelines were being replaced before construction of new roads.

He said Rs130 million were being spent on roads in all the union councils while work on major roads was in progress at a cost of Rs172.51 million under the Taameer-i-Karachi Programme.

To overcome sewerage problems, he said that the 50-year-old lines had been replaced with new lines while sewerage system was laid at a cost of Rs55.55 million in goths which hitherto were without this facility and Rs9.02 million were spent on replacement of water lines whereby water was made available to goths which had the connections but no supplies.

Wasay Jalil told the journalists that besides construction and cleaning of drains, a formal system was provided in storm water drains system which did not have the connections.

In this regard, he mentioned Abul Hasan Ispahani Road, Sehba Akhtar Road, KESC road in Block 18 and 8 and the road behind New Town police station. He said that Rs7.78 million had been spent on cleaning of drains.

Regarding parks, he said that work on 11 parks had been completed. He further said that 15 roundabouts had been given to private sector for beautification. —APP