KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation will make certain arrangements, including installation of 40 generators and 1,160 starch/focus lights, in 24 graveyards of the city on the occasion of Shab-i-Barat, the eve of 15 Shabaan.

Official sources said on Monday that the KMC with the help of six district municipal corporations (DMCs) would provide electricity, lights, potable water and other arrangements in and around the city graveyards on the occasion of Shab-i-Barat.

Besides, they said fumigation arrangements had been made with the provision of fire brigade and ambulance service at the major graveyards to ensure immediate help in case of any emergency.

The sources said that the decision to make arrangements for Shab-i-Barat was taken on the directive of Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar.

They said that a meeting was held in the KMC head office on Monday to review the arrangements for Shab-i-Barat.

The meeting was chaired by the City Council parliamentary leader Aslam Shah Afridi and attended by the DMC Korangi chairman Syed Nayyar Raza, vice chairman of the DMC East Abdul Rauf, Khalid Ajmeri, Naheed Fatima, media committee chairperson Sabheen Ghori, fire brigade committee chairman Aman Khan Afridi, municipal commissioners of the DMC West and South Ashfaq Mallah and Barkatullah, Shahab Anwer, director graveyards Iqbal Parvez, senior director of the municipal services department Nauman Arshad and others.

The meeting was informed that the KMC would arrange for installation of 40 generators and 1,160 starch/focus lights in the 24 graveyards including Mewashah, Mohammad Shah, Sakhi Hassan, Liaquatabad C-1 area, Essa Nagri, Korangi No. 6, Model Colony, Mehmood­abad, Yasinabad and Paposhnagar graveyards.

Mr Afridi urged the district administration and KMC officers to ensure proper and full arrangements for Shab-i-Barat as large number of citizens visit the graves of their relatives and friends to offer fateha and spend this night in prayers.

He said city wardens would also be deputed around graveyards for traffic control and guidance of visitors and anti-encroachment staff would ensure clean and smooth passage to the graveyards.

The City Council parliamentary leader said 80 per cent of the city graveyards were located in West district, therefore, the DMC West had to ensure better arrangements within its remits on Shab-i-Barat.

He said the sewage overflow and leakage should also be stopped around graveyards especially on this occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2018