CM orders repairing Korangi Causeway

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday directed the local government department to install small pumps to drain out rainwater from the streets, simultaneously starting the patch work of the damaged roads and restore the Korangi Causeway.

Shah chaired a meeting at the CM House to discuss the rain emergency as well as the repair of the damaged infrastructure across the city. Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput told the chief executive that he had visited various localities of the city and found that water had been drained out, but some portions of the Merewether Tower, Memon Masjid, KMC building, Kharadar, Wazir Mansion and their connecting streets were still submerged.

The CM was told that the underpasses of the South and East districts had been cleared of rainwater and they would be opened for traffic by evening. Shah directed LG Minister Nasir Hussain to get small pumps installed on the streets where rainwater was still accumulated so that they can be cleared.

“A forecast for another spell of heavy rain has been issued, so we are supposed to not just restore all the roads and streets but also have to get ready for the upcoming spell.” The CM said that the Korangi Causeway had been damaged, so the alternative route to Korangi from the industrial area was under pressure. He directed Hussain and Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon to visit the causeway and hire a contractor on an emergency basis to start work.

Meanwhile, the CM directed Karachi police chief Javed Odho to ensure traffic management on the city’s roads. The meeting was told that the heavy rainfall has damaged sewerage lines in six areas, including the CM House, the Metropole, the Sindhi Muslim Society and Qayyumabad, so the road there has sunk.

On this the CM directed the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board to immediately start work on them so that they could be restored within the next two days. He also directed the LG department to start the patch work on the roads damaged by heavy rain.

Edhi Foundation

The Edhi Foundation on Tuesday rescued as many as 70 families with the help of rubber boats and shifted them to a safe location. The families live in a shantytown near the Lyari River close to Agra Taj Colony. The families were trapped due to a heavy flow of water in the river during monsoon rains. The foundation also provided them with rations and other necessary items. Most of the affected people were women and children.