4,364 tonnes of garbage removed from Karachi nullahs, says NDMA

KARACHI: The National Disaster Management Authority has widened the scope of an operation to clean clogged up nullahs and drains of Karachi, with the city expecting a fourth spell of heavy rains from Thursday.

In a statement, the authority mentioned that within a day, its personnel removed around 4,364 tonnes of garbage clogging the city’s drainage system.

The NDMA is working with the Sindh government and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in the metropolis, with the Frontier Works Organisation’s 14 teams busy in clearing up Gujjar nullah, Korangi nullah and Mawach Goth nullah.

The NDMA was roped in to clean the city after earlier rain showers inundated several parts of the city, causing rain-related deaths and property damage. The PMD had warned that if the drains were not unclogged on time, the situation around the city could deteriorate further.

In a press conference on Sunday, NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal had said that Karachi's stormwater drains have "too many encroachments" on them.

He said that daily, as much as 20,000 tonnes of solid waste is generated in Karachi. “The widths of most of the nullahs have narrowed from 400 metres to three to four metres,” the NDMA chairman had said.

PMD predicts heavy rainfall in Karachi from Thursday

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted 100-130mm of rainfall across the city, starting August 6. “A monsoon low pressure from Bay of Bengal is likely to approach Sindh on Thursday (evening/night). Under the influence of this weather system strong monsoon currents are expected to penetrate in Sindh, South Punjab, and Eastern Balochistan from Thursday (evening/night) to Saturday,” the PMD said.

The weather department had warned of urban flooding due to the fourth spell of rain in the monsoon season. Last week, Pakistan Army was called in to deal with the issue of urban flooding in the city after heavy rains wreaked havoc in several areas of Karachi.

Isolated heavy rain showers in Sindh

The PMD earlier said that heavy downpour may generate urban flooding in Karachi and Hyderabad and flash flooding in hill torrents of Khuzdar on Friday and Saturday and advised the authorities to stay alert during the period.

"Widespread rain/wind-thundershowers, with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Tharparker, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Tando Allah Yar, Matiyari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Jamshoro, Dadu and Shaheed Benazirabad from Thursday (evening/night) to Saturday."