KARACHI: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor, expressing grave concern over inundation of roads and arteries of Karachi in ongoing monsoon spell, has said the megacity needs a major overhaul of its drainage system.
He said billions of rupees were tagged for the improvement of drainage system when MQM leader Mustafa Kamal was the city mayor but due to corruption and nepotism no actual improvement was witnessed in the drainage system of the megacity, which went drowned with every rain even after spending this huge amount.
He said the major reason of urban flooding in the megacity is that its rainstorm drainage waterways are encroached upon by the land mafia.
He said all pre-Pakistan drainage Nullahs were designed to cater a smaller population of Karachi at that time, but later when the population went increased manifold, these Nullahs were not widened accordingly to increase their capacity but instead narrowed and some case buried altogether due to illegal enchantments.
He said throwing of garbage into these Nullahs has further blocked their flow and resultantly Karachi drowns with every rain.
He said the designers of DHA and other such housing societies near the coast also craved plots from small creeks and natural water outflow drains. Now the DHA and Clifton also drown into rainwater. He said accumulation of rainwater in the areas near coastal belt is unheard in any other part of the world, but the greed of real estate tycoons and institutions has made this possible in the coastal areas of Karachi.
Altaf Shakoor demanded that outflow of drainage water into Malir and Lyari Rivers must be stopped at all costs. These rivers and other rainwater drains must not be used as sewerage water Nullahs. 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 systems 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. He said the 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.
Altaf Shakoor demanded to overhaul the outdated 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.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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