KARACHI, June 18: The city and town administration have been told to take immediate measures to prevent possible losses from imminent monsoon rains and to save 194 residential buildings, declared dangerous by the authorities concerned.

It was decided in a high-level meeting on Tuesday, headed by the District Coordination Officer, Shafiqur Rehman Paracha, that an emergency plan would be made by the Towns and Union Councils for their respective areas.

The meeting was attended by EDOs, officials of Town municipals, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Pakistan Telecommunication Co Ltd, Sui Southern Gas Co, Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, Cantonment boards and other departments.

It would be the first time that the City and Town Nazims tackle the situation which would arise after the imminent monsoon rains. People hoped that the elected representatives would come up to their expectations in managing the post-rain situation.

The city and town administration had started to cover storm- water drains so that they could not be turned into garbage dumps and the exercise to clean storm-water drains would not have to be repeated every year by spending a huge amount of the public exchequer on their desilting.

However, a visit to some localities showed that the storm- water drains were filled with filth and garbage. Earlier, the zonal municipal corporation and the sub-division magistrates were responsible for taking measures to prevent losses from monsoon rains. They were also responsible for the cleaning of storm-water drains.

In the meeting, the DCO emphasized the undertaking of effective measures to ensure desilting of storm-water drains, fixing of manhole covers and accidents caused by snapped wires. Before the onset of rains, people should also be shifted from low-lying areas to safer places, he added.

The meeting also decided to establish relief committees at Towns’ levels which, in collaboration with UCs, would ensure emergency measures to protect citizens from the adverse effects of the monsoon season.

The relief committee would also include the concerned DDO revenue, officials of Towns, KWSB and the KBCA.

The meeting also decided to constitute rescue operation committees as part of the emergency relief measures. These committees would serve citizens and provide them help in accordance with news received from emergency centres of the City Government and Towns.

Shafiqur Rehman Paracha instructed the officials concerned to visit the low-lying areas and collect details about the impending risks which may be caused in case of heavy rains, besides suggesting measures to ward them off. These would finally be approved by the City Nazim.

The meeting was apprised that so far, 194 dangerous buildings have been pointed out and it was decided that in every Town, a committee would be established headed by the Town Nazim which would ensure protective measures against expected losses caused by these structures. Every committee would comprise of TMO, DDO, an official of revenue and the KBCA.

The meeting hoped that the KESC would ensure effective measures to check incidents caused during monsoon by snapped wires and would apprise the City Government about the steps.