Karachi’s water corporation urges residents to keep manholes covered

KARACHI: The Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation’s (KWSC) Chief Operating Officer (COO) urged residents in the country’s largest city to keep the manholes covered during the upcoming rainy weather on Thursday.

The water corporation’s COO urged citizens to refrain from removing manhole covers stating that sewerage manholes are not designed for rainwater drainage. “Sewerage manholes not for rainwater drainage,” he sternly pointed out.

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The COO also announced that the water company has mobilised its resources and completed all necessary preparations to address any issue posed by the heavy onslaught of rains.

The COO disclosed that the water corporation boasts a fleet of “55 suction machines” that have been “strategically positioned” to tackle water accumulation on major highways and low-lying areas. These machines are scheduled for deployment on Thursday night under the supervision of the “Executive Engineer Workshop Division” and other relevant authorities.

In addition to deploying suction machines, the water corporation has ensured the availability of a substantial quantity of diesel at its sewage pumping stations to facilitate uninterrupted operations during the rainy season.

The COO claimed the water board’s had taken a “proactive stance” with all staff, especially those involved in sewage management, on high alert and working round the clock to serve the public. To reinforce this commitment, the corporation’s “Engineering Wing” canceled staff leave to ensure “full operational capacity”.

The COO also stated that the water corporation was in “constant communication” with other local bodies, including the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), to coordinate efforts and optimise resource allocation.

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The COO said that vehicles equipped with suction machines and de-watering pumps would remain deployed on the roads until rainwater was effectively drained to ensure minimal disruption to daily life.

With the onset of heavy rains, the Mayor of Karachi declared a state of “rain emergency” on Wednesday. He stated that he had to institute “proactive measures” to mitigate potential flooding and water-logging in the city of 17 million inhabitants.