K ARACHI: Amid growing fears about city flooding following the heavy rainfall forecast during the upcoming monsoon, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has been waiting for funds to be released by the Sindh government to begin de-silting of major storm-water drains, it emerged on Tuesday.

In a letter sent to the Sindh local government department, Karachi commissioner stated that funds for de-silting of the major nullahs had not been transferred to the KMC so far, officials said. They added that it was for this reason that the KMC had not started work on the removal of silt from the drains.

The officials in the city administration said the Met Of fice forecasted 20 per cent more rainfall than last year`s in Sindh. Taking cognizance of the weather advisory, the city administration had held a series of meetings with the functionaries of civic agencies operating in the Karachi division. They included the KMC, the district municipal corporations (DMCs) and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) etc.

In the letter, the commissioner said the district administrations had already started the de-silting of nullahs in their respective areas with the funds released to them by the Sindh government. `During my visit to the districts of Korangi, Karachi Central and Karachi South, it was pointed out by the deputy commissioners concerned that the ongoing de-silting of nullahs would not bring positive result until and unless the major nullahs, being regulated by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, were simultaneously de-silted,` the letter stated.

It added that the KMC administrator was also on board and the KMC management had informed the commissionerthatthefundsforthe purpose hadbeensanctioned and administrative approval had also been given, but the funds had not been transferred to the KMC so far.

`Resultantly, the KMC has not started the said work.

The officials said the local government department had been requested that in view of the exigency and to avoid the `embarrassing position`, the parent provincial department should take up the matter with the quarters concerned for immediate transfer of the requisite funds to the KMC.

In the meantime, the city administration had advised the KMC to initiate the de-silting of nullahs in anticipation of transfer of the said funds keeping in view of the urgency.

The Met Office has lately forewarned that Karachi, Hyderabad and Thar will receive more rainfall than the normal average. Karachi is lil(ely to receive between 100mm and 120mm of rainfall that can result in urban flooding if drains and sewerage system are not timely cleaned.