KARACHI, Aug 24 (APP): Administrator Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday said that the mega city of Karachi so far had received more than 600 millimeters (mm) of rain, since the start of monsoon.

Due to the effects of climate change, there had been more rains than usual in different countries including Pakistan, and none of them was prepared for it, he added.

Murtaza Wahab was presiding over a meeting to review the current situation in Karachi in the wake of massive rains. Municipal Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi and other officers concerned also attended

He said the rehabilitation work had been divided into two phases. In the first part, the Annual Development Programme (ADP) schemes related to roads, water and sewerage would be completed on war footing, and in the second, potholes on the roads would be repaired.

The Sindh government would spend Rs 2.5 billion on the rehabilitation of roads, while KMC would spend more than Rs 500 million from its own sources to provide quick relief to the people, he added.

“Under the ADP, 157 new schemes will be completed in Karachi, while the development projects managed by CLICK are in addition to this.

“A mechanism has to be devised for the drainage of rainwater from the city on a permanent basis.

“For the past several years, the drainage of water had stopped due to encroachment on the rainwater drains,” he said.

Murtaza said that in the past rainwater got accumulated at Nagan Chowrangi, KDA Chowrangi, Natha Khan, Nursery, Gulistan-e-Zafar Society and Kharadar, but the situation had improved this year with the installation of new pipelines.

“Complete drainage is only possible with engineering solutions. There is a need to find a solution for water drainage from the low-lying areas of Karachi”, he stressed.

Murtaza stressed that every institution should work jointly for the progress and development of Karachi.