GUJRAT: People residing along the four major drains of the city have demanded the cleaning of these drains at least twice prior to the rainy season to minimise the agony caused by urban flooding.

The city’s four major drains Shah Hussain drain, old GT Road, Chah Tarehng and Kalara drains are currently filled with heaps of garbage and silt.

“They pose a threat to the properties, businesses and routine life of people residing or doing businesses along the routes of these drains as well as adjoining residential, commercial and industrial localities,” says Yasir Mahmood who runs a shop along Jinnah Road.

He says the residential and commercial areas located along Shah Hussain drain right from Jail Chowk to old GT Road and Chah Tarehng drain face agony as these drains have been covered with a concrete structure being used as road for the last one decade due to which cleaning of these drains has always been a daunting task for the management of the Gujrat Municipal Corporation.

Naseer Butt, another shopkeeper of old GT Road, says the GT Road and Kalara drains have not been covered and remain filled with heaps of garbage and silt for not being properly cleaned. He says it’s high time the authorities cleaned the drains and the exercise should be again done next month to lessen the agony of the citizens.

Most people say that the civic agency launches the cleaning of drains only few days ahead of the rainy season or even after the heavy rains start by the end of June and the exercise fails to bring the desired results.

They demand cleaning of drains within the next three to four weeks to avoid further trouble for the residents of the city.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2021