July 02, 2015
News
Nawaz orders inquiry into heatwave deaths
* PM says deaths in Karachi due to severe heatwave were unprecedented *All departments who shirked their responsibilities must be held accountableKARACHI: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday ordered an inquiry against those responsible for hundreds of deaths in Karachi in recent days due to a severe heatwave.
Chairing a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House on intense heatwave in Karachi and the resulting casualties, the prime minister said the irresponsibility of departments had added to the public misery. He said deaths in Karachi due to severe heatwave were unprecedented in the country’s history and stressed that all departments who shirked their responsibilities must be held accountable.
The prime minister said lessons should be learnt from such calamities and measures be taken to avoid their recurrence in future. He expressed deep sorrow over the casualties and said the whole country shared sympathy with the affected people in this hour of grief.
He directed to set up a committee comprising federal and provincial government officials to monitor and ensure efficiency of departments concerned. He said the federal government would share the project cost with the provincial government.
He ordered officials to complete Karachi drinking water project, K-4, within two years and also promised to release Rs10 billion to the Sindh government in this regard.
Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah thanked the prime minister for taking personal interest in matters of the Sindh province, particularly of Karachi city. He briefed the prime minister on the emergency situation that hit the metropolitan city, causing hundreds of casualties as well as the relief and remedial measures taken by the provincial government.
The prime minister was informed that more than 65,000 patients got treatment at Karachi hospitals, during this period, out of which about 1,250 lost their lives.
The chief secretary briefed the prime minister on the Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme under which 260 million gallons of water would be brought from Kinjhar Lake to Karachi daily to meet the present and future needs of the city. The project would be completed in three phases.
The meeting was also briefed on the 17.8 km Green Line Bus Rapid Transit System, having a capacity of 300,000 passenger trips per day, being funded by the federal government. An amount of Rs 8 billion has already been released by the federal government for the project. The Green Line would integrate with Karachi’s master transportation plan.
Sindh Governor Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah later called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. They discussed the law and order situation in Karachi and reviewed progress in the ongoing operation against criminals and terrorists in the city.
In a media briefing after PM’s visit, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah claimed the prime minister lauded efforts of the Sindh government during the deadly heatwave in the province. The chief minister termed heatstroke deaths a ‘cumulative effect’, pointing out that power load shedding played a major role in the deaths of so many people. Qaim informed journalists that Karachi’s development projects also came under discussion with the prime minister who promised to release the much needed funds for city’s development works.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk