KARACHI: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor said in a statement on Monday that the megacity of Karachi needs a major overhaul in drainage system.
He said billions of rupees were tagged for improvement of drainage system, but due to corruption and political nepotism no actual improvement was witnessed in the drainage system of the megacity which went drowned with every rains even after spending this amount.
He said the major reason of the urban flooding in the megacity is that its rainwater drainage waterways are encroached upon by the land mafia. He said all pre-Pakistan stormwater drain were designed to cater to a small population of Karachi at that time, but later when the population of the city went increased manifold those drains were not widened to increase their capacity but instead narrowed due to enchantment.
He said throwing of garbage into the stormwater drains had further blocked their flow, resultantly, Karachi drowns with every rain. He said designers of DHA and other such housing societies near the coast also craved plots of small creeks and natural water outflow drains. Now the DHA and Clifton also drowns in rainwater. He said accumulation of rainwater in areas near coastal belt was unheard in any other part of the world, but the greed of real estate tycoons and institutions had made this possible in the coastal areas of Karachi.
Shakoor demanded that outflow of drainage water into the Malir and Lyari rivers must be stopped at all costs. These rivers and other rainwater drains must not be used as sewerage water drains. He said these rivers may be used for storage of rainwater by erected dozens of mini check dams over them. He said the concept of rainwater harvesting should be introduced and practically implemented in the megacity.
He regretted that even newly built Green Line RBT service was temporarily stopped during the rains. He said commuting system are kept working in almost all weather conditions in other megacities of the world, but no such planning is ever made for Karachi. He said Karachi is the worst megacity of the world in terms of public transport. He said the government is still dragging heels to start construction on much awaited second phase of Green Line RBT from Numaish Chowrangi to Tower. Shakoor said revival of the KCR is still a distant dream due to snail-paced work on it. He said neither the drainage system, nor water supply and public transport systems are on the priority list of our provincial and federal governments.
Shakoor demanded to overhaul the chocked drainage system of Karachi, and with use of modern GSP and other technologies all natural waterways of the city should be revived to save Karachiites from the menace of urban flooding during every monsoon.
