Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday directed concerned authorities to finalise ‘Karachi Transformation Plan’ during current week in consultation with all stakeholders for its in-principle approval and implementation.
Chairing a high-level meeting to address civic problems of Karachi, the Prime Minister said the federal government was cognizant of sufferings of people and vowed to play its role in mitigating them.
Governor Sindh Imran Ismael, Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Maritime Minister Syed Ali Zaidi (through video-link), Chairman National Disaster Management Authority Lt. Gen Muhammad Afzal and secretaries of concerned ministers attended the meeting.
Khan said the country’s progress and development was linked with the prosperity of its economic hub Karachi.
The prime minister was updated about Karachi’s problems relating to clean drinking water, sewerage, solid waste management and transport and apprised of the proposals for their permanent solution. A presentation on Karachi Transformation Plan prepared by Planning Ministry was also shown in the meeting.
Urban flooding warning
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority has warned another round of urban flooding in Karachi as heavy rain is expected in the night.
The suffering of scores of Karachiites saw no end on Monday as parts of the city remained waterlogged and without power, an agonising five days after record-breaking rainfall caused widespread devastation in the metropolis.
Hyderabad received a heavy downpour and the roads once again got sub-merged.
Larkana, Shikarpur and other upper parts of the Sindh province have been receiving thundershowers and rain on Sunday and Monday after lower Sindh – Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatta and Hyderabad – were lashed with more downpour.
In Badin and its surrounding areas, the rain, which started on Sunday evening, has been falling relentlessly for last 15hours fall and has claimed two lives so far. In Nandoo city a seven-year-old boy died while two others got injured after the roof of a house caved in. In Khaskheli, a man was died due to an electric shock. Hundreds of mud houses in the rural areas have been damaged due to the rain leaving the people in a lurch.
Some 400 villages have lost land contact with Dadu city due to the rains for the last 25 days. The district is out of power completely and 10 people have been so far died due to the flood.
Water level on rise in Indus at Guddu, Sukkur barrages
The water level in Indus River is surging at three barrages in Sindh after continuous rainfall in the country.
According to the water data released by Sindh irrigation department the water level at Guddu Barrage and Sukkur Barrage surged by 13,000 and 2000 cusecs respectively in past 24 hours. The inflow of water in Indus at Guddu Barrage has been recorded 2,34,291 cusecs, while the outflow from the barrage remained 2,29,291 cusecs.
The inflow of water in Indus at Sukkur Barrage has been recorded 2,07,725 cusecs, while the outflow from the barrage remained 2,05,025 cusecs.
The inflow of water in Indus at Kotri Barrage has been recorded 86,565 cusecs, while the discharge from the barrage remained 85,900 cusecs, according to the irrigation department.
Nine canals of three barrages in Sindh have been closed due to heavy rainfall. Sukkur Barrage has seven off-taking canals, out of which three – Dadu Canal, Rice Canal and North Western Canal (Kirthar) – are situated on right bank, and four – Khairpur Feeder West, Rohri Canal, Khairpur Feeder East and Nara Canal – are at the left bank of the Indus.
Five off-taking canals of Sukkur Barrage and two off-taking canals of Guddu and Kotri barrages have been closed due to likely breaches in canals due to rising level of water.