KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday, along his cabinet members and chief secretary, rushed to the low lying and old city areas when it started raining heavy in the city and inspected proper flow of the storm waters drains and installation of cesspool machines and directed administrator Karachi to install heavy pumping machines in the DHAs areas where water has accumulated.
The chief minister was accompanied by Minister Information Sharjeel Memon, Minister Local Government Nasir, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief secretary Sohail Rajput, Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon and Secretary Local Government Najam Shah.
At the start of the visit, the chief minister visited the nullah at Shaheen Complex and inspected its smooth flow right from Shaheen Complex towards Clifton. The chief minister got a cesspool installed at the road to dispose of accumulating water in the low-lying areas of the Ziauddin Road.
The chief minister on Chundrigar road visited nullah at City station and then at Habib Bank Plaza and inspected its flow. At Habib bank plaza the flow of the Nullah was slow therefore he hot a mobile pumping system there to speed up the flow of the rain water.
When Mr Shah reached the Tower he discovered that it was usually submerged with the choking of storm water drains running along the stock exchange building and KPT godowns. The chief minister directed the water board to install two suction systems- one at the low-lying area of Tower and the other at the backside of the KPT godowns to keep disposing of the accumulating water in the sea towards Native Jetty.
Murad Ali Shah left for Lyari from Tower and visited different localities of such as Imambargah Hussainian Iranian- Kharadar, Mithadar Lee Market and their adjoining areas and sewerage pumping Machine at UC-36 sewerage pumping station and inspected proper disposal of the rainwater and smooth flow of the nullahs in Lyari. The areas of Lyari were clear and there was no rainwater on the roads.
Upon his return from Lyari, the chief minister visited Garten East and West areas and then went to inspect underpasses at KPT and Submarine Chowrangi and inspected their dewatering system. Murad Ali Shah visited different nullas passing through Shahrah-e-Faisal where the water board and other concerned staff was on duty.
Mr Shah visited Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Sindh office where he was received by his Advisor on Relief Rasool Bux Chandio. At the PDMA office the chief minister was briefed about the rain monitoring system and rain gauge system installed there. The chief minister was told that 41 mm of rain has been recorded at different 18 stations of the Met office. He was told that if the average rain in the North area of the city was calculated it would come to 68 mm by 5.50 pm.
Murad Ali Shah visited different areas of DHA and witnessed rainwater had accumulated on different roads and streets. He directed Administrator KMC to move cesspool and suction machines to DHA and get the accumulated water disposed of.
Media talk: Talking to media at Nursery the chief minister assured the people of the city that he was making all out efforts to keep the rainwater disposed of in time. “It has been raining since 5 am but our concerned officials and top bureaucracy along with their ministers are on the roads to ensure proper disposal of rainwater,” he said.
Mr Shah said that almost all the nullas, small and big ones, including those constructed along the main arteries of the city have been cleaned. “I am sure the on-going third spell of heavy rain would not cause any serious issue,” he said.
The CM said that the people of this city have witnessed the performance, sincerity and commitment to serve them that’s why the previous spell of heavy downpour did not submerged the city, otherwise the city used to turn into a river but now all the roads were motorable and water was draining either through its gravity or with the machines.