Monsoon Contingency Plan: CS takes stock of SWDs cleaning, encroachment drive

Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah has directed Karachi Commissioner and Managing Director (MD) Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) to personally monitor the drive aimed at cleanliness of nullahs and removal of encroachments.
He directed this, presiding over an important meeting of monsoon contingency plan 2019 at Sindh Secretariat, here on Tuesday.
Chief Secretary also asked power companies HESCO, SEPCO and K-Electric to make sure availability of electricity for the dewatering arrangements during the monsoon season.
Reports had it all 30 major nullahs of Karachi are exposed to overflowing in the monsoon season primarily due to lack of needed arrangements by Sindh SSWMB and the city government.
Chief Secretary directed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to increase the number of de-watering pumps for Karachi to 100 from 40.
Director General PDMA Sindh briefed the meeting regarding contingency plan prepared by the authority. He said that rainfall over the country as a whole for monsoon 2019 (July to September) is likely to remain near-normal.
He further said that normal to above-normal rainfall is expected in upper half of Pakistan due to strong incursion of monsoon currents and their interaction with westerly weather system.
However, extreme weather is expected during the period and may cause flooding in the rivers and its adjoining tributaries. He briefed meeting on various types of rain/flood threats: riverine flood caused by snow-melting, heavy rainfall in upper catchment area of major rivers, the urban flood caused by heavy rain spell/cloud burst that causes urban flooding, the LBOD flood caused by heavy rainfall, overflow of LBOD causes urban flooding and the flash flood caused by the extreme rainfall in Khirthar/Koh-e-Suleman range.
All the divisional commissioners informed the meeting regarding plans they have prepared for districts in their respective divisions. The Commissioner Karachi said there are total 30 nullahs in Karachi which remain under threat of overflowing during the monsoon. However, encroachment being removed and cleaning of nullahs has begun.
Sukkur Mayor Arsalan Ahmed Sheikh stated that there is shortage of staff in Sukkur due to removal of staff. Even then they have initiated preparation for monsoon and all available staff and resources would be utilised.
Sindh CS directed all commissioners to prepare a list of health institutions, their capacity, emergency beds, doctors, paramedics, mobile dispensaries, anti-venom and anti-rabies vaccines, etc. He also directed them to identify areas for temporary relief camps or tent villages in each taluka over an elevated surface. He said details of livestock facilities, including availability of fodder and vaccination facilities also be shared with all stakeholders and close coordination be maintained with the Civil Defence - for its strength, capacity and resources that available.
Mumtaz Shah directed the PDMA and Commissioners to build tent cities or special arrangements for those to be affected by rain/flood. He urged them not to disturb educational activities by using schools for the said purposes.
He directed the commissioners, deputy commissioner and other concerned departments to share their plans so that final draft of Monsoon Contingency Plan-2019 could be submitted to Sindh Chief Minister for formal approval. The Plan will be shared with all stakeholders after its formal approval.
The Chief Secretary directed the Secretary Irrigation to depute teams at protected embankments (bunds) to monitor situation.
The meeting was also attended by the senior member Board of Revenue Shamsuddin Soomro, Commissioner Hyderabad Muhammad Abbas Baloch, Commissioner Sukkur Rafiq Ahmed Buriro, Commissioner Larkana Saleem Raza Khuhro, Secretary Irrigation Saeed Ahmed Mangrejo, Secretary Works & Services Mansoor Abbas Rizvi and representatives of Pak Army, Navy, police, PDMA, KMC, HESCO, SEPCO, K-Electric and other concerned officers.