The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has launched a drive to clean the city’s major storm water drains ahead of the monsoon season to minimise the risk of urban flooding and ensure smooth drainage during heavy rainfall.
Officials said Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Monday visited the Hijrat Colony drain near PIDC Colony to review the ongoing desilting and cleaning operations. He was accompanied by Municipal Commissioner Abrar Jaffer and other senior officials of the KMC.
During the visit, the municipal services senior director briefed the mayor on progress in the drain cleaning campaign and measures being taken to complete the work before the arrival of heavy monsoon showers.
Speaking on the occasion, Wahab said the primary objective of the operation was to improve the city’s preparedness for the monsoon season and prevent inconvenience to residents caused by waterlogging.
He said the city’s overall situation during the last year’s monsoon remained comparatively better due to timely preventive measures, adding that the KMC was determined to further improve its performance this year.
The mayor directed the departments concerned to expedite the cleaning of all major drains across Karachi, emphasising that the work should be completed as early as possible to ensure an effective drainage system before the onset of monsoon rains.
He reiterated that every possible effort would be made to protect citizens from difficulties during the rainy season. He warned that any negligence or delay in carrying out the assigned responsibilities would not be tolerated and strict action would be taken against officers found responsible for poor arrangements.
Later, Wahab held a meeting with the participants of the 29th Public Policy and Governance (PPG) Course of the Punjab Institute of Management and Professional Development (PIMPD), Lahore, who visited the KMC as part of their study tour.
The mayor said Karachi was the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and a major hub of commercial activities. The economic progress of the country was directly linked with the development of Karachi, he stated as he stressed the need for promoting a positive image of major cities of the country.
The people of Karachi gave a mandate to the Pakistan Peoples Party and elected local government representatives were playing their role in resolving public issues and improving the city according to the expectations of citizens, he said, adding that development projects were under way across Karachi, and every possible effort was being made to restore the identity of Karachi as the City of Lights.
He said industrial and commercial activities in Karachi continued as usual, due to which the city was moving towards new avenues of progress. The mayor remarked that it should be clearly understood that when Karachi progressed, Pakistan became stronger. Promotion of industry and trade in the city would create new employment opportunities, and improvement in the standard of educational institutions would provide skilled human resources, while development of urban infrastructure would help reduce daily life problems faced by citizens and improve their quality of life, he added.
He said achieving these objectives required every citizen to consider the city as their own. He said that just as we kept our homes clean, it was also our responsibility to keep the city clean and maintained.
Thousands of people continued to come to Karachi every day, and the city welcomed everyone with an open heart, he said and added that effective planning, timely implementation and continuous monitoring were essential for the development of any sector. The leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party was taking practical steps to provide better facilities to the citizens across Sindh, including Karachi, Wahab asserted.
