Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for information, archives and local government had issued directives to all municipal authorities concerned to chalk out effective rain emergency plans especially the desilting of sewage and storm water drains prior to the advent of monsoon. Further, the efforts for eviction of public land and encroachments from parks, playgrounds, green belts and pavements should be expedited.
The process of fumigation for eradication of colonies of mosquitoes especially those causing dengue hemorrhagic fever should be completed on war footing basis under the aegis of deputy commissioners (DCs) while the administrators and municipal commissioners should ensure removal of illegal sinages being displayed alongside roads and major avenues. Out of order street lights should be repaired or replaced, the Minister furthered his directives.
The Minister issued these directives in a meeting he had presided in his office with Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Sindh Local Government Secretary Muhammad Jawaid Hanif Khan, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Rauf Akhtar Farooqui, Karachi water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) managing Director Qutubuddin Shaikh, DCs, MCs and Administrators of Karachi’s districts concerned present in the meeting.
The meeting discussed about rain emergency plans for the metropolis and effective mechanism for de-silting of sewage and storm water drains and the officials concerned were directed to make sure maintenance of cleanliness, sanitation and proper de-silting so as to prevent any untoward rise of rain-related problems.
He directed KMC Administrator to ensure availability of machinery and funds required for meeting the measures as were covered under fresh directives and a compliance report should be furnished to Sindh Local Government Secretary through DC of the district concerned within 15 days from the day the directives were issued.
The KW&SB MD was directed to take measures for removing sewage lines that were unlawfully laid to ease out the sewage flow while damaging the main drain system. DCs were directed to take prompt action on removal of all illegal singes from road side and with regard to fumigation process, the Minister warned that any case reported at any hospital with dengue fever would lead to stern accountability of the official of the area concerned.
It was also placed under the directives that all the ongoing construction work in the metropolis especially on fly-over on Shahra-e Pakistan should be completed in a month and the debris should also be disposed of properly.
Sindh Secretary for Local Government was in particular asked to ensure close coordination with DCs, MCs and Administrators concerned and be attentive to measures for the prevention of rising of any untoward situation with the onset of monsoon.
The Minister reminded the meeting that the meteorology department had predicted heavy rains this monsoon and hence any negligence in foreseeing expected civic challenges and their amicable redressed would leave no choice except stern departmental actions. It should be clear that accumulation of sewage on streets in any part of the city would also not be taken in lighter manner as any complaint about such civic issue would drive the officials of the areas concerned toward strict departmental actions as well.
On the occasion, KMC Administrator presented a report about plying dedicated CNG buses on streets of Karachi, which informed the meeting that 22 dedicated CNG buses had been set to order while further 10 would be repaired to ply on streets. To ply the dedicated CNG buses, tenders had been released to seek private operators to ply the fleet of 30 dedicated CNG buses as outsourced operation and after finalizing routes for these buses in a month, the service would be made available to the people of Karachi.
The Minister on the occasion directed him to expedite repair and maintenance work on out of order CNG buses so that the problems of people of the city regarding passenger transport should be alleviated.