Sindh CM Murad approves Rs1.5bn to repair rain-damaged roads in Karachi

• CM orders probe on roads constructed, repaired after 2022.
• Strict action must be taken against those responsible: Murad. 
• Also orders construction, repair of roads in other districts. 

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday approved Rs1.5 billion to repair the damaged roads due to heavy rainfall this year in Karachi. 

Presiding over a meeting which assessed the damage, CM Shah directed the Local Government Department to initiate an inquiry into the roads constructed or repaired after 2022 that have since been washed away.

“It is unacceptable for the quality of work to fall short of standards, and strict action must be taken against those responsible,” the chief minister said, emphasising the need for accountability in the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure.

The meeting, which was held at the CM House, was attended by Planning and Development Minister Nasir Shah, LG Minister Saeed Ghani, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, P&D Chairman Najam Shah, LG Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, Municipal Corporation Secretary Karachi Afzal Zaidi and Finance Special Secretary Asghar Memon.

The CM directed Ghani to initiate an inquiry into the roads constructed or repaired after 2022 that have since been damaged. "This shows that the quality of the work was not maintained, therefore they must be brought to book," he said.

During the meeting, Wahab told the CM that there were 17,861,500 squares had been damaged during the rainfall of 2024.

District South has 909,500 square feet of damaged roads, East 795,000 square feet, Central 832,000 square feet, West 13,750,000 square feet, Korangi 5,555,000 square feet, Malir 625,000 square feet and 395,000 square feet of flyover and bridges.

The CM was told that 120 roads, flyovers and underpasses of the city needed patchwork, including 20 roads in district South, 22 East, seven Central, 38 West, 11 Korangi, 12 Malir and 10 flyovers.

He added that around Rs1.5 billion were required to repair and reconstruct the damaged roads, bridges and flyovers which the CM approved then and there with the directives to carry out quality work.

Wahab also apprised the chief minister that under the CLICK program, six major works would be started.

Repair/construction of other divisions

Shah, in a separate meeting, identified that 219 roads, totalling 3,545.39km, in Hyderabad Division and 178 roads, totalling 124.81km, in Sukkur Division, have been damaged by floods. He directed the Water and Sewerage department to estimate the damages and start repair works.

The CM was told that the heavy rains spell damaged 219 roads with a length of 3545.39km in Hyderabad Division and 27 roads of 319km in Sukkur Division. The damages include surface, shoulder, bridge, and culvert damage.

Shah directed the relevant officials to sit together along with their respective teams to estimate the damages caused by the rainfall to the roads so that they could be approved to start the work.