HYDERABAD / Rain Emergency/ Provincial Minister for Irrigation and Rain Emergency Focal Person appointed by Chief Minister Sindh Jam Khan Shoro has said that the problem of drainage in Hyderabad is a challenge as drainage here is not on gravity but on pumping. As everyone knows that feeders are shut down by Hesco after a little rain, so there is a problem in drainage of rain water due to lack of electricity.
He said this while presiding over a high-level meeting to review the arrangements made for rain emergency and expected cyclone at Shehbaz Hall Hyderabad today. He said that CM Sindh has appointed me as a focal person for timely arrangements in rain emergency and I am trying to take all possible and effective steps to save the people of Hyderabad from troubles working with district administration. with the district administration. Addressing the meeting, Commissioner Hyderabad Muhammad Abbas Baloch said that Rs. 30 millions have been spent by WASA on sesliting of storm drains while more funds are required for complete cleaning of drains.
He said that “PS-1 and PS-2 are the main pumping stations in Hyderabad where we need 24-hour power supply but unfortunately as soon as a drop of rain falls Hesco shut down all feeders and we have to run all the pumping stations on the generators.
The provincial minister said that Hesco has always been negligent and even in the current situation, if Hesco continues to do the same, it will cause trouble to the people and all our efforts will fail. Provincial Minister Jam Khan Shoro directed the Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad to form committees headed by the concerned Assistant Commissioners to deal with the situation of possible rains at the taluka level. ADC I and ADC II should be given the responsibility of monitoring Hesco’s grid stations for better coordination .
The provincial minister directed the concerned officers to functionalize all the pumping stations and ensure availability of standby generator including diesel there and especially to solve the problem of Mehr Ali Shah Latifabad on priority basis.
Briefing the meeting on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Fuad Ghaffar Soomro said that all arrangements have been made by the administration to deal with the possible rainy situation. Deputy commissioner said that all the officers and staff of the district administration have been directed to be ready to deal with the situation during the rain emergency in Hyderabad.
Briefing the meeting, MD Wasa Zahid Khimtio said that the Southern Disposal Scheme is almost completed which will help in the discharge of rain water from Latifabad taluka. All the pumping stations in Taluka City are operational and generators are also available there.
Addressing the meeting, Aajiz Dhamrah said that long term projects should be formulated for a permanent solution to the drainage problem in Hyderabad as an effective strategy has been devised to deal with the situation arising due to excessive rainfall in the every coming year.
Hesco officials in the meeting briefed that leaves of officers and staff have been canceled during the Rain Emergency while a plan has been formulated to deal with any kind of situation. The arrangements have been made for immediate resolution of any technical fault. Addressing the meeting, HMC Administrator Altaf Hussain Sario said that we have a total of 70 pumps for drainage of rain water out of which 27 pumps have been installed at designated places while other pumps are used to deal with any emergency. He said that an emergency plan has also been drawn up to work during the rain emergency. The meeting was attended by MPA Abdul Jabbar Khan, Special Assistant Saghir Ahmad Qureshi, Aajiz Dhamrah, Fayyaz Shah, SSP Hyderabad Sajid Amir Saduzai, Additional Deputy Commissioner I Lal Dino Mangi, Additional Deputy Commissioner Qaim Akbar Nimai, ACs of all Talukas and other concerned officers of departments also participated.
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