KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the commissioner of Karachi to coordinate with the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Army the evacuation of people stranded in Sukkun and Malir rivers and house them in school building in Malir district.

The CM directed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to arrange food and other necessary stuff for them and their children.

Shah learnt through different reports submitted to him by deputy commissioners about the people living in the bed of Sukkan and Malir rivers having been stranded due to high flooding.

He also directed the PDMA to arrange tents, dry food items and drinking water for the people to be shifted to camps.

The PDMA has informed the district administration that tents, mosquito nets and deterring machines were available with them.

The PDMA has provided 63 dewatering machines to the district administration to pump out water from the low-lying areas.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told different news channels that Karachi had received heavy rains on Thursday and expected the same intensity on Friday.

He urged the people working in different offices to stay in there and not to go out until the rain is over and water is pumped out.

Shah, terming the heavy rains in the city a “disaster”, said it was a dangerous situation, and “we are worried about the poor people living in cottages and katcha houses”.

“I am surprised that our political opponents, instead of extending a helping hand to the government and to the people, are criticizing us as if we are responsible for the unprecedented downpour,” he said, adding: “Yes, being a government, it is our prime duty to help the people, rescue them, shift them to a safe place and rehabilitate them, and we are working on it.”

Murad Ali Shah said that once rain was over all-out efforts would be made to dispose of water and restore normal life in the city.

The chief minister said that he had mobilized the district administration, the local bodies, the water board, the PDMA and Sindh police to help the people.

“The provincial ministers, district administration, district and traffic police are on the roads to help the people,” he said.

“I am personally monitoring the situation and in constant touch with all the officers concerned and giving them necessary instructions,” he said. He said he himself had visited some parts of the city early evening.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020