Plan of action formulated for graveyards: administrator

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Administrator Karachi Laeeq Ahmed Monday said that a plan of action has been formulated in collaboration with the district administration for better arrangements in the graveyards on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat.

Ahmed asked the district administration to appoint focal persons for the arrangements for Shab-e-Barat so that immediate contact could be made regarding the cemetery located in any area.

He said KMC and DMCs would work as a team throughout the city, not only on the eve of Shab-e-Barat but also on other issues such as the rain emergency, to work out a joint strategy with the district administration.

“The issue of drainage in the cemeteries should be resolved on priority basis. A large number of citizens pay visits to the graves of their departed loved ones to offer Fateha on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat. In view of past experiences arrangements should be made including cleaning of roads around the graveyards, lighting and water supply,” the Administrator passed these remarks while addressing a meeting to review measures and arrangements for Shab-e-Barat.

On this occasion, Metropolitan Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi, DC Korangi Shehryar Memon, DC Central Raja Dharejo, DC Keamari Mukhtar Abro, Administrator Malir Zainul Abidin, Finance Advisor Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto, Senior Director Coordination Khalid Khan, Senior Director Municipal Services Masood Alam, Director General Technical Services Shabih ul Hassan Zaidi, Director Cemetery Iqbal Parvez, Chief Fire Officer Mubeen Ahmed, Director City Warden Raja Rustam and representatives of law enforcement agencies were also present.

Ahmed said that the roads leading to the cemeteries in different districts should be visited immediately and obstructions should be cleared there and wherever light and water arrangements are required, immediate steps should be taken to complete these works.

He said that city wardens will be deployed around the cemeteries to guide people and assist the police in traffic control.

He said that KMC is taking all-out measures to provide better sanitation, water and lighting arrangements not only in the cemeteries of KMC but also in the cemeteries run by other institutions.

The Administrator on the occasion sought information from the representatives of different districts regarding the arrangements for Shab-e-Barat in their areas and asked them to provide a complete list of cemeteries located in their areas so that necessary arrangements could be made in the light of this list.

Representatives of the district administration said that there are 29 cemeteries in West district, 21 in Malir district and three in South district. It was informed that 39 out of 203 cemeteries are under administrative control of KMC while others were allotted to different societies.