Nagan Chowrangi, New Karachi, Shadman Town, 5-Star Chowrangi, KDA Chowrangi flooded last week during the third monsoon rain spell in Karachi.
People wanted to know why this had happened because the government had not only launched a massive nullah or stormwater drain encroachment removal operation that displaced thousands of people but had also made promises that they were ready for monsoon 2021 after the urban flooding of monsoon 2020.
AC New Karachi is at Nagan Chawrangi, traffic is stuck there. We are trying to get the water level down, it shall take an hour or so to get things under control.
— Deputy Commissioner Karachi Central (@DCKhiCentral) September 23, 2021
The National Disaster Management Authority, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, DMCs and district administrations had focused on Mehmoodabad, Gujjar and Orangi Nullahs, the big three in Karachi.
They said that major choke points at Gujjar Nullah had been cleared from Shafiq Morr, Café Piyala, Landi Kotal, Ziauddin Hospital-Nazimabad and Rangers Post.
But despite this the Nagan Chowrangi neighbourhood and surrounding areas were flooded.
KMC Senior Director Katchi Abadis Mazhar Khan, who has been overseeing the anti-encroachment drives on the stormwater drains from very first day, told SAMAA Digital that there are two reasons rainwater accumulated at Nagan Chowrangi and its adjacent areas.
“The structure of the underground stormwater drain was disturbed during the construction of the Green-Line BRT Project,” he said. “The stormwater drain pipes that crossed from one side to another were replaced. The new pipes were small and that is why the rainwater did not pass from one side to another.”
The problem affected the strip from Hyderi to Nagan Chowrangi and onwards. One side of Nagan Chowrangi was dry as the pipes allowed a certain quantity of rainwater to pass through.
Another reason was that the district Central administration did not clean small stormwater drains properly.
There are around 500 small stormwater drains in Karachi. Out of them, around 80 lie in Central District. They are connected to Gujjar Nullah.
It was decided that the underground network of stormwater drain at the Green Line BRT would be replaced soon.
KMC Metropolitan Commissioner Afzal Zaidi confirmed the explanation. The problem was faced due to the underground stormwater drainage system at the Green Line BRT, he said.
“This point is more valid and the authorities are working to address the issue,” Zaidi maintained.
KMC claimed that they completed more than 90% of work at Gujjar Nullah and Orangi Nullah. It started anti-encroachment drives over Mehmoodabad Nullah, Gujjar Nullah and Orangi Nullah from January, this year.
The Frontier Works Organisation is looking after the re-construction work at these stormwater drains.
from SAMAA https://ift.tt/3EXJPMc
No comments:
Post a Comment