KARACHI: Civil administration of Karachi, during a meeting on Friday, decided that monsoon relief activities would be carried out with close coordination and cooperation through a central working network to be set up at Rescue 1299 Commissioner Office Karachi. Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Sualeh Ahmad Faruqui, while chairing a review meeting on the monsoon contingency plan on Friday, directed the concerned government officials to be fully prepared to meet the challenges of rain emergency. The commissioner also urged the officials to effectively implement their prepared contingency plans so relief can be provided to people during monsoon rains. Faruqui asked all departments including Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and six district municipal corporations and cantonment boards to ensure that they are well equipped with human resources and machinery during the rain emergency. It was decided during the meeting that the machinery provided to KMC and KWSB, including de-watering pumps, by Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) would be functional ahead of monsoon showers. It was also decided that an alternate power supply arrangement would be provided to these civic bodies for running their operations during monsoon. It was also decided during the meeting that Commissioner Office Rescue 1299 will work as a centralized control room and all civic agencies would depute their staff to work at 1299 in order to coordinate with the concerned agencies to provide relief to citizens during the rain emergency. During the meeting, officials from PDMA, KMC, DMCs and cantonment boards briefed the Commissioner on their respective contingency plans. The officials told the commissioner that they were fully prepared to meet the challenges of rain emergency. The Commissioner was informed that work on cleaning of storm water drains was underway and most of drains had been cleared of mud deposits. Officials told the commissioner that it was expected that the remaining work including the cleaning of nullahs and water storm system would be completed before monsoon rains. Officials from KMC and DMC informed the commissioner that garbage was being removed from main roads and lanes of the metropolis. Some of the other civic matters discussed during the meeting included water supply situation in certain areas, encroachments and vehicular traffic. It was decided that concerned officials should step up measures for improving water supply and removal of encroachment in parts of city. Karachi Commissioner directed the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to check all manholes in city and cover them properly. It was decided that all deputy commissioners would coordinate with KWSB and supervise work to be carried out by the entity for covering manholes. The commissioner also advised the concerned officials to monitor the arrangements being made for rain emergency on a daily basis. Solid Waste Management Board Managing Director Saeed Ahmed Mangejo, KMC Municipal Commissioner Saifur Rehman, KWSB Managing Director Khalid Shaikh, , Director Local Government Department Director Farooq Siddiqui, all deputy and additional commissioners and officials of provincial, federal and district level including officials from Sindh police, Pakistan Rangers Sindh, Civil Defense, SITE Limited, KPT, K- Electric, SSGC, MDA, LDA, education and health departments, SBCA, Directorate of School Education, Sindh Environment, district council and livestock were present at the meeting. Published in Daily Times, July 7th 2018.