Amid urban flooding fears, Sindh govt imposes rain emergency in Karachi

KARACHI: Amid fears of urban flooding in Karachi during the predicted monsoon spell in the upcoming days, the Sindh government on Thursday imposed rain emergency across six districts in the city, ARY NEWS reported.

Taking notice of a report carried by ARY NEWS pointing lack of cleaning of nullahs in the city before monsoon spell, the Secretary Local Government Sindh Roshan Ali Shaikh chaired a meeting today to address the issue.

The secretary imposed an emergency in the province to clean nullahs across the city on an immediate basis to ensure the smooth flow of rainwater.

The meeting also approved the establishment of district-level coordination committees that would oversee measures needed to be taken during rain emergency imposed in all six districts of the metropolis.

Roshan Sheikh said that they would utilize the funds of Rs 1.76 billion for cleaning of nullahs, earmarked under a World Bank project.

Under this project, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) will clean all nullahs in the city, he said adding that cleaning of stormwater drains would begin in five to six days in the city.

It is pertinent to mention here that Chairman District Municipal Corporation East Karachi has demanded the release of funds for clearance of the stormwater drains in the metropolis before the monsoon season on Wednesday.

The DMC chief has demanded the release of a special grant of 65 million in a letter written to Sindh minister for local government, Chief Secretary Sindh, Commissioner Karachi, and the provincial secretary finance.

The chairman has pointed out the deteriorating situation of the drains in Gulshan Iqbal and Jamshed Town in the district east of the city.

The drains could submerge the surrounding population if the cleaning work not done before the rainy weather, the chairman DMC said.

“The Sindh government should fulfill its promises of grant for clearance of the drains,” the municipal chairman Karachi East said in his letter.