Hyderabad:
The Hyderabad business community has urged the government of Sindh to stop allowing the construction of housing projects or industrial areas along the river roads, channels and storms officially declared. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, on Thursday, the Small and Small Hyderabad (HCSTSI) Chamber of Commerce (HCSTSI) also asked to start a topographic survey of the Indo River and all its channels.
“This problem directly affects urban planning, disaster management, flood prevention, environmental sustainability and public safety,” said Chamber President Muhammad Salem Memon. He said that over the years, construction activity on river roads and invasions has caused destructive consequences for people.
He added that the 2022 monzón rains caused losses of hundreds of billions of rupees in Karachi, Hyderabad and the rest of Sindh. The Chamber suggested that the provincial government should launch GPS, SIG and topographic surveys from the point where the Indo River begins in Sindh to the zero point in the Arabic sea.
Surveys must also cover channels, distributors and natural storm drains caused by man. Memon proposed that after completing the survey, the report must be notified in the Gazette, in addition to being available for the online public. He referred to a study and said that 20 percent to 30 percent of losses related to rain or floods in Sindh are attributed to invasions.
He stressed that the regulatory weapons of the Government of Sindh as the Construction Control Authority of Sindh (SBCA), the development authorities, local organizations and the irrigation department must strictly go to enforce the survey. The president of the Chamber said that the deviations in natural drains in the Hyderabad site area have also caused mass financial losses for the industry.
“The old drains of the storm have been invaded or blocked, causing serious damage.” He stressed that erratic climatic patterns that imply rains and floods above normal, thanks to climate change, have required dedicated planning and action to prevent people from suffering losses in the future.
The camera also demanded an immediate high for mining activity in the mountains, especially in the Khirthar range, which he contributed to the recent urban floods in Karachi. The business community also emphasized the need to formulate policies in the domain of climate resilience.
