$11m WB project soon to construct major city drains: CM tells rain emergency meeting.

KARACHI -- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday directed the local government department to work out a detailed plan for desilting, cleaning and repair of drains, including natural stormwater drains so that funds could be released in time.

'I want all the DCs, local bodies and water boards should be taken on board while envisaging a rain emergency plan so that full and final action could be taken,' he said while presiding over a rain emergency meeting here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Secretary Local Government Roshan Shaikh, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, MD Water Board Asadullah Khan and other officials. The divisional commissioners and local body representatives, mayors and chairmen joined the meeting through video link.

Mayor Karachi told the chief minister that he was facing a financial shortfall to carry out de-silting of drains. At this, the chief minister advised the mayor to enhance KMC financial resources, however, the Sindh government would cover up the shortfall and finance de-silting of the drains. The chief minister directed Secretary Local Government Roshan Shaikh to send him financial requirements through secretary finance. 'You have to move a summary today so that timely action can be taken,' he said.

Shah said that a $11 million World Bank project was in pipeline and most probably it would start within the next four months under which almost all the major drains of Karachi would be lined. 'We would construct fencing around the nalas so that no encroachment could take place,' he said and added almost all the newly constructed major roads of the city had stormwater drains along with them, therefore, he was sure that rainwater would be disposed of in gravity, if their concerned nalas in which they [drains] discharge were cleaned and de-silted.

It was pointed out that some civil works of different nalas in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur were required. The secretary local government told the CM said that taking all the concerned deputy commissioners on board he had sent a summary of Rs229 million for the chief minister.

The chief minister directed the Mayor and Commissioner Karachi to work out a plan to avoid Saadi Town like the situation of last year. He directed Mayor Karachi to expedite ongoing work on Mehran nala so that it may not overflow again and create...