An outdated drainage system has been one of the major concerns of Karachi, to mitigate this issue the World Bank (WB) has announced that it would collaborate with the provincial government to launch Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project or SWEEP for the metropolis.

“We are assisting Sindh Government to prepare Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency Project (SWEEP) for Karachi,” said World Bank's Country Director for Pakistan Illango Patchamuthu, in a series of tweets.

Illango informed that the project is currently being appraised and no funds have been approved or disbursed. “We are working with the Local Government Department, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the District Municipal Corporations,” he said.

The SWEEP project aims to remove garbage clogging drains (or nallahs) and reducing their drainage capacity through labor-intensive jobs.

It is pertinent to inform that Karachi has been marred with civic issues, the conditions worsened amid the recent spell of rains leading to clogged drains and several areas of the metropolis flooded with rainwater mixed with sewage, while massive gridlock was seen at the major arteries including Shahrah-e-Faisal, University Road, Hassan Square, Nagan Chowrangi, Saddar, Gurumandir, Liaquatabad, UP Morr, etc.