KARACHI:
The cleaning of storm sewers in Karachi is in full swing, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) claimed on Sunday after the looming threat that cyclone Tauktae will hit Balochistan and Sindh in the coming days.
According to the agency’s spokesman, 14,900 tons of garbage have so far been removed from the Mahmoodabad Drain, while 153,031 tons of garbage have been disposed of from the Orangi Drain and 73,550 tons from the Gujjar Nullah.
The spokesman claimed that the interference with the city made it difficult to access and clean the drains.
He added that the agency is primarily liaising with the relevant department to resolve the issue.
A day earlier, on Saturday, while chairing a meeting on Cyclone Tauktae, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah declared the emergency as part of precautionary measures in all coastal districts to avoid an adverse situation.
Read The cyclone ‘Tauktae’ threatens the coastal regions of Pakistan in India
“A control room should be set up in the office of the secretary-general to ensure close coordination with all districts on their requirements and to give them the necessary instructions on behalf of the government,” he said.
After being briefed by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and the Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the Prime Minister instructed the Karachi government to remove all the nullahs’ asphyxiation spots.
He also directed Karachi Commissioner Naveed Shaikh and Administrator KMC Laiq Ahmed to remove all billboards and neon signs and urge builders to take precautionary measures.
The cyclone is on its way to Indian Gujrat, but its periphery is expected to hit the coast of Balochistan and Sindh, causing heavy rains, strong winds and rough seas.
The Prime Minister was informed that there are two possible traces of the cyclone. When the cyclone crosses the Indian Gujrat, it externally affects the districts of Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umerkot and Sanghar.
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