KARACHI: Leaders of various trade bodies of the country have urged the federal government to take emergency measures for Karachi which has been badly affected due to heavy rains that have caused a massive flooding in the city over the last couple of days.
A leading textile exporter Muhammad Jawed Bilwani told APP that roads and streets in the oldest and largest industrial and trading estate of the city had been flooded with water.
He said that rain water had also entered most of the factories which has caused damage to machinery, equipment and inventories adding that industrial activities in such areas have been put on a stand-still.
He urged the government to take timely steps for the betterment of the city.
Meanwhile, other business leaders urged the government to declare Karachi as a calamity-hit city and initiate a grand relief and rehabilitation programme.
Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Patron-in-Chief Siraj Kassam Teli said that the city administration and Sindh government have failed to revive and upgrade the devastated infrastructure of the city.
He suggested that rehabilitation tasks should be outsourced to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Frontier Works Organization (FWO) and other concerned agencies of the federal government.
“In order to save Karachi, the city should be handed over to the Pakistan Army for a certain time period,” he asserted.
Karachi today is a laughing stock to the country/world. Karachi being an industrial/economic hub was the capital of Pakistan.
The city deteriorated with lawlessness, provincial migration. With no disciplined regulation of Public Transport, as buses, local trains, Circular Railways, people travel on roof top of 30-40 year old coaches, buses, with stairs to sit on roof. There is no door in any bus in Karachi. The coaches are 40-50 year old with no passenger safety provision. Where’s the RTA? Why bus production at HinoPak is stopped? If Lahore can import Volvo buses by the local administration, why the local administration waiting to import Mercedes Benz Buses from Germany which are hybrid on fuel cell, or battery solar/PV. Why Karachi transport authority handed over to the Honorable NDMA. What happened to BRT transport from the Govt. of Sindh? Despite the availability of Funds for transport the Government should at least Punjab Road Transport Authoity, Lahore. I think if the public transport is handed over to the Lahore Authority for one year, it will change the face of Karachi.
Why Climate Change is not adhered to? All transport should be EV, including buses. Why bicycle track is not laid. Why foot path sold to vendors are not vacated so pedestrian should walk. The recent rains are lesson to learn to the respective authorities/admin.