Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday said federal government along with the Sindh government is moving to immediately act and resolve three major problems of Karachi.

“These included cleaning of the nullahs once and for all, dealing with encroachments impeding water channels; devising a permanent solution to the solid waste disposal and sewerage problems, and resolving the critical issue of water supply to the citizens of Karachi,” the prime minister announced on his Twitter handle.

In a series of tweets, the prime minister said whole nation has felt the pain the Karachi residents were going through. “However, out of this devastation & suffering there is now a positive development as my govt, along with the Sindh govt, is moving to immediately act & resolve 3 major problems of Karachi,” he posted.

President Dr Arif Alvi, while referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweets over resolution of Karachi issues, said cooperation between the federal and the provincial government of Sindh is ‘a positive development’. In a tweet, he said this cooperation can do wonders not only during the current devastating crisis due to heavy seasonal downpour, but would also be helpful in the future planning. “A positive development. Cooperation between the Fed & Prov Govts can do wonders during this devastating crisis & also in the future in making of Storm Drains, Sewage Treatment, Solid Waste Management, Fresh Water Supply & Transport. Karachi & rest of Sindh will never be left alone,” he tweeted.

Governor Sindh Imran Ismail has expressed great concern over prolonged suspension of power supply in Karachi since heavy shower on Thursday and said non-restoration of electric supply by K-Electric even after two consecutive days was out of his perception. The governor expressed these sentiments in his telephonic call to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) K-Electric Monis Alvi on Saturday, a private news channel reported.

Imran Ismail stressed for early restoration of power supply on emergency basis and said human tragedy was emerging in various areas of the metropolis. CEO K-Electric told the governor that power supply was suspended for public safety from electrocutions.

The rainwater remained accumulated in Karachi’s Defence even after 48 hours on Saturday. Meanwhile, in several areas, there has been a power breakdown for more than two days. The water is stagnant in Defence’s Khayaban-e-Muhafiz, Khayaban-e-Qasim, Khayaban-e-Shujaat, among other areas.

Pakistan Army and Navy’s relief and rescue efforts are underway in the flood-hit areas of Karachi, the ISPR said. Pakistan Army Engineers cleared COD underpass at Shahrah-e-Faisal for traffic, while work was underway at KPT underpass. Availability of basic commodities including ration items’ is being provided through mobile teams in severely affected areas, the ISPR said. “Dewatering at multiple locations continue to ensure civic facilities,” it said, adding that the Army Mobile Recovery vehicles are deployed at various choke points to shift vehicles stuck in flood to keep the flow of traffic.

KE said that more than 90% of its feeders have started working and power had been restored to over 100 locations. The KE has urged customers to bear with it as rainwater has “entered over 50% of KE’s substations during record-breaking Karachi rains”. The power utility said that to restore power it needed to drain water from inside and outside of the substations. “Equipment must be allowed to air dry before turning on,” it added.

Citizens had protested in several of Karachi against power outages after KE shut down several feeders in the wake of torrential rains. A group of people protested at Shahrah-e-Faisal near Ayesha Bawany School resulting in the blocking of traffic. Moreover, another protest took place in the city’s upscale area, Defence. The protesters blocked the incoming road to the area. In Sher Shah, protesters blocked the way for traffic under the Gul Bai bridge.

Terming the huge losses caused by the torrential rains a ‘national disaster’, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had on Friday urged the Centre to help the provincial government in coping with the rain emergency. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Murad Ali Shah had confirmed that as many as 80 people had died during the recent monsoon rains so far in Sindh.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to visit Karachi ‘next week’, according to a statement by Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah after a meeting on Friday presided by PM Imran to review progress of the various development projects being carried out by the federal government in Sindh. All federal government institutions had been instructed to provide help to Karachi in dealing with the destruction caused by torrential rains in August, said the prime minister.