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Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab has openly challenged the individuals criticizing the water clogging and urban flooding in Karachi.
In a statement, Mayor Karachi invited the critics to visit all 106 roads under Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for the latest update.
“If water is still present on 106 roads under, I am willing to take responsibility, but if there is no water, the critics must acknowledge that the drainage work has been completed,” Wahab said.
Wahab further promised that once the current monsoon spell ends, KMC will begin repairing all 106 damaged roads.
Speaking on drainage capacity, Wahab explained that Karachi’s system can only handle 40 millimetres of rain. When six times more rain falls, the system fails, and flooding becomes unavoidable. He said capacity should increase, but land availability and financial costs are major obstacles.
Read More: How to report damaged roads for quick repairs in Karachi
He recalled that after the 2020 monsoon, the Supreme Court ordered the reconstruction of Gujjar Nala, Orangi Nala, and Mehmoodabad Nala. Around 6,800 families were displaced.
The three projects cost Rs. 25 billion, while relocation support required another Rs. 14 billion with land. In total, nearly Rs. 50 billion was spent. Wahab stressed that with 560 drains in Karachi, the overall financial requirement would be enormous.
The mayor also pointed to governance challenges. Karachi has 36 institutions, including KMC, KPT, Port Qasim, railways, and cantonments, each with separate leadership and poor coordination.
Politically, PPP, Jamaat-e-Islami, PTI, and MQM all control different areas of the city. Wahab urged every stakeholder to deliver in their jurisdictions rather than shifting blame.
He said that citizens deserve results, not political disputes. However, he regretted that parties often accuse one another instead of working together.
