Mayor Karachi Announces Repair of 106 Rain-Damaged Roads with Rs750 Million Allocation

Karachi: Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab has announced that repair and resurfacing work on 106 rain-damaged roads across the city will begin on Monday and be completed within 60 days. A total of Rs750 million has been allocated for the project.

Speaking at a press conference at the KMC head office, the mayor said that Karachi has overcome the recent rain emergency and focus has now shifted to road rehabilitation. He added that Rs150 million will be allocated to each district for patchwork and restoration of damaged roads.

Details of the project, including road lists, contractors, engineers, company names, and even WhatsApp numbers of XENs, have been uploaded to the official KMC website. Citizens can also register complaints by dialing 1339, Wahab said.

The mayor emphasized that he and the deputy mayor will directly monitor the schemes. He said a yearly contract has been signed for road repairs in all seven districts, with separate contractors assigned to each area. Any agency cutting roads without permission will face legal action, he warned.

Criticizing some town chairmen, Wahab said they often blame lack of salaries while receiving significant funds through property tax, road-cutting charges, advertisement fees, registration tax, and trade licenses. He questioned the spending of over Rs2 billion claimed by New Karachi towns out of Rs3.25 billion received under road-cutting heads.

Wahab added that despite political differences with Jamaat-e-Islami, he is ready to work jointly for the city’s betterment. He urged JI leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman to showcase his development work instead of relying only on criticism.

The mayor also pointed out that while Lahore residents pay for solid waste management services, no such charges are levied from Karachi citizens. He praised the performance of the Solid Waste Management Company during Eid-ul-Adha, saying some chairmen wrongly took credit for its success.