CM Murad orders removal of encroachments along Gujjar Nalla from Feb 3

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed Karachi administration to start anti-encroachment drive along the Gujar Nalla from Feb 3 and also issued directives for construction of a water channel from Sadi Town to Lat Dam for saving the area from Urban flooding.

“I want to construct another dam on upstream of Lat Dam so that waste/rainwater could be stored there for agricultural purposes apart from recharging the ground water aquifers of Malir district.”

He took these decisions while presiding over the Provincial Coordination & Implementation Committee (PCIC) meeting here at CM House.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah, Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Corps Commander Karachi Lt General Nadeem Anjum, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem, GOC Karachi Major General Aqeel, Director ISPR Brig. Jahangir, representatives of FWO, VC NED Dr Sarosh Lodhi, provincial secretaries, commissioner Karachi and Administrator karachi, MD Water board and other concerned.

Gujjar Nalla: Commissioner Karachi Naveed Shaikh briefing the meeting said that 3,957 structures along the Gujjar Nalla have been identified for removal.

The meeting decided that 12.6 kilometers on both the sides of the Gujjar Nalla would be cleared so that a road on both sides of the nalla could be constructed for vehicular traffic.

The chief minister directed Commissioner Karachi and Administrator Karachi Laiq Ahmed to start removing soft encroachments from February 3 to 13, 2021 and then from February 14 launch a full-scale drive.

“We have to clear the encroachments and have to save the city from Urban flooding,” the CM said.

Minister Local Government Nasir Shah said that 10 dumpers, four loaders, four excavators, two Jack hammers and 100 manual labour had been engaged and they would start operation from February 3. He added that debris would be dumped at Jam Chakro.

At this the, the chief minister directed IG police to deploy police force for the security. Shah also directed the commissioner to provide cheques to all the 3,957 people to be affected with the removal of encroachments.

It may be noted that an amount of Rs15,000 per household on six monthly bases, was being given to the affected people. The amount (cheques) is being given through biometric verification of the dislocated occupant.

Mahmoodabad Nalla: The meeting was told that out of 7.5 km length of both sides of Mahmoodabad Nalla, 7 km had been cleared by removing the encroachment and 500 meters had yet to be cleared. Under the anti-encroachment drive 235 units/structures had been removed from January 4, 2021 to this date.

In the operation, 277 dumpers, 30 trucks, 31 loaders, 48 excavators, six shovels and eight jack hammers participated, and the total 10439 tons of debris had been transported to landfill site.

The chief minister was told that out of 65 compensation cheques, 45 had been distributed among the affected people and 20 others would be distributed shortly because the concerned affectees were out of the city.

Minister Local Government Nasir Shah told the meeting that in order to make Solid Waste Management more efficient, a new draft Sindh Solid Waste Act had been prepared. The draft Act has been sent to the law department for legal vetting.

The proposed Act includes establishment of separate board at each divisional headquarter level.

There would be six boards across the province and each board would work as independent and autonomous bodies within their jurisdiction. The boards would be headed by their respective managing directors.

Divisional Commissioners will be the chairman of the board and mayors/chairman of concerned metropolitan/municipal corporations will be on the board. There would be some technical members and private members.

Lat Dam: The meeting decided to develop a separate storm water drain from Saadi Town to Lat Dam so that the area could be saved from flooding during heavy downpour. The chief minister directed NED University to study the project and submit their report.

The meeting was told that the Lat Dam was a Recharge Dam constructed in 2011-14. It has a capacity of 53-acre feet. The weir height is 10 feet. The upstream of the dam/Weir is totally filled with sediments. The dam reservoir was silted within two years after its construction.

The chief minister directed local government department to remove sediment from the dam so that heavy rainwater could be stored in the dam.

He also directed the local government and Irrigation department to prepare feasibility of another dam on the upstream of Lat dam. Thado Dam: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah taking a policy decision decided to store wastewater/rainwater into Thadho Dam to use it for agricultural purposes.

He added that presently waste/rainwater was flowing into the Sea but it could be stored in Thadho Dam to use for agriculture purpose.

“With storage of huge water in the dam the water table of the area [Gadap] would be recharged, and around 33730 acres of land would be cultivated,” he said.

Thado Dam is located in the Gadap Town in Thadho Nai, a tributary of Malir River upstream of Konkar Town. It is an earth fill dam. The purpose of the construction of the dam was to raise the table for cultivation of the land. The dam was commissioned in 2020. The meeting was told.