Karachi market built on drain collapses

KARACHI: In an untoward incident, several shops constructed on a drain in Karachi’s Jubilee Market collapsed here on Thursday.

According to details, around 10 shops that were built on a storm water drain in Karachi’s Jubilee Market collapsed. No loss of life was reported in the incident.

The assistant commissioner reached the spot and sealed the entire market after some shops were subsided.

“Shops in Jubilee Market collapsed as they were constructed on a storm water drain,” he said, adding that the market has been sealed for inspection.

He further said that no causality was reported as a result of the incident, adding that the market will be de-sealed after the completion of inspection by the technical team.

Most of the storm water drains in Karachi have been encroached with illegally constructed houses, shops and other structures, according to a survey made by government departments.

These encroachments have pivotal role in impeding free flow of the rainwater causing urban flooding and immense damage to the city, in case of a catastrophic spell of rainfall, like the one recently hit the port city.

A survey conducted by Sindh Irrigation Department and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) few years ago pointed out thousands of built houses on Gujjar Nullah, stretched over a distance of 13.5 kilometers.

Read: MOST OF KARACHI DRAINS ENCROACHED, CAUSING URBAN FLOODING: SURVEY

According to survey papers, several billions of rupees will be required to shift these houses and provide alternate homes to the affected people.

According to the survey, 27 key water drains are occupied by the illegal encroachments with five to 80 percent occupation of the space, which are part of the natural drainage of the rainwater.

The city’s drainage situation has further aggravated with sewerage lines discharging filthy water and other waste in the storm water drains, they added.