Karachi:
The Karachi Citizens’ Forum (KCF) held a press conference on Tuesday, expressing concern for recurrent urban floods that paralyzes the city after each rain. The forum pointed out that even a brief period of rain damages the property, interrupts companies, results in the loss of lives, leads to the closure of schools, cause traffic stagnations and leaves citizens stranded on flooded roads.
The conference indicated that, despite the weather warnings of the Department of Meteorology of Pakistan (PMD) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the city, once again, remained unprepared in this Monzón season. The conference recommended the establishment of a central authority, composed of urban planners and citizen stakeholders, to coordinate efforts between land entities. He emphasized the need for a city plan that addresses current challenges, as well as future demands, highlighting the importance of transparency and responsibility for infrastructure spending, which declared that it must be guaranteed through digitalization and public supervision. In addition, the conference urged to prioritize public welfare initiatives, such as repairing sanitation systems, completing public transport projects and rehabilitating water treatment facilities, instead of assigning resources to non -essential cosmetic developments.
The conference urged the thorough application of environmental regulations, holding negligent officials, braking illegal invasions and regulating the production and use of plastic bags. He concluded stating: “Karachi deserves competent governance, honest supervision and sustainable development.”
