DE-SILTING OF FOUR NALAS STARTED
CM directs KMC, DMCs to be on red-alert to drain out rain water
KARACHI (June 29): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that he has released Rs476 million for de-silting of all the 30 nalas of the city but emergent cleansing work started on four nalas should not be stopped during the Eid holidays. "There must be red-alert in local bodies to pump out rain water during the n-going pre-monsoon season."
This he said while presiding over meeting regarding rain emergency in the city. The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, SMBR Rizwan Memon, Commissioner Karachi Aijaz Khan, Secretary Local Government Baqaullah Unar, Secretary PDMA Saeed Awan, Administrator Karachi Laiq Ahmed, DG PDMA Syed Salman Shah.
Minister Local Government Jam Khan Shoro said that he along with all Administrator KMC, DMC administrators, Commissioner and deputy commissioners were on the roads. He added that there were some choking points at Shahrah-e-Faisal, University road, in central district where rainwater could not flow smoothly.
He said that de-silting work on four nalas, Orangi, Gujjar, Chokar and kalri has been started. "Work on other 26 nalas would be started just after eid and this de-silting work would continue till next six months to clean them completely," he said. The chief minister directed the minister local government to work out detailed plan to remove encroachment on and along the nalas.
Mr Jam Khan Shoro said that when the rain started yesterday evening the KE feeders tripped so suddenly that the motors and other electrical installations at pumping station at Dhanbeji and Pipri were damaged badly. Pumping station at Pipri has been restored but work at Dhabeji pumping station was still in progress.
The chief minister said that there were reports that water was stagnant o the roads and have accumulated in depressions I the city areas. "The DMCs have been given enough funds to hire generators to pump out rain water," he said and added that every DMC was provided Rs10 million for cleansing nalas of their area and other expenditures," he said and directed the local government minister to personally inspect their work .
The chief minister also noticed that prolonged power failure in the city caused serious problems in the city. "I had held a meeting with KE authorities and they had informed to have upgraded their transmission and distribution system. If their system was upgraded then how this prolong power failure occurred during a first shower in the city," he questioned and directed secretary Energy to talk to KE and urge them to keep their system maintained.
The local Government Minister told the chief minister that after the permission of Ministry of Water Power about 25 MGD water had been pumped out of Hub Dam and the same water was being provided to District West and other areas.
Rasheed Channa
Media Consultant to Chief Minister Sindh
