Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed Irrigation department, all commissioners and local bodies' institutions to take immediate measures to cope up with the challenges of flash floods which might be generated in the wake of heavy rains expected from Monday to Thursday. He gave these directives while presiding over a meeting held to discuss measures in the light of fresh weather forecast.
It was attended by Sindh Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Principal Secretary to CM Alamuddin Bullo, Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Siddiqui, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, deputy commissioners of different districts of the city and other concerned officers. Quoting from the Met office's recent weather forecast that heavy rains might lash lower Sindh from Monday to Thursday, chief secretary said that the meteorological department has requested all the concerned departments to take all necessary measures as the rainwater might generate flash floods. The chief minister said that during his visit to major storm-water drains he found illegal public settlements and encroachments have emerged there and asked the officials that how these nullahs will be cleaned in the presence of encroachments.
The CM directed Commissioner Karachi to conduct a survey of all illegal settlements existing inside and along the storm-water drains and suggest what measures could be taken to remove encroachments from there. Principal Secretary to CM informed the chief minister that according to the Irrigation department's flood situation report, upstream discharge at Guddu Barrage was 499,910 cusecs and 479,018 cusecs downstream discharge which is a medium flood, he said and added that Sukkur Barrage upstream discharge was 366,500 cusecs and downstream 325,130 cusecs. It is also a medium flood while at Kotri Barrage upstream discharge was 144,170 cusecs and at downstream discharge was 129,645 cusecs which is normal," he said.
Bullo told the CM that the Irrigation department was expecting that upstream Guddu Barrage discharge would be between 505,000 and 535,000 cusecs on July 26. The chief minister directed the chief secretary to alert all local bodies' institutions, irrigation and water & sewerage boards so that they could take immediate measures in case of emergency. The CM also directed PPP's divisional and district leadership of the province to mobilise party workers to help people in case of heavy rains.
Meanwhile, Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durani on Saturday called on the chief minister to brief him about construction of parliamentarians' residences at the MPA's hostel site. The parliamentarians' residence costing Rs 4.5 billion will have two towers - one for a hostel and another for family residences -, he added. The chief minister urged the Speaker to start the project for which he would be providing more funds.