Where is the drain at Kalma Chowk?

Torrential rain that hit the city on Tuesday caused massive accumulation of water around the Kalma Chowk Flyover, as the mega structure lacks a drainage network, an essential prerequisite for all development projects.
The flyover completed in 135 days and considered a milestone in the history of Pakistan had its pillars surrounded with water after a major rain in the city. Commuters who had earlier praised its rapid construction and quality of work were taken aback by the water around and under the flyover. Apparently, Kalma Chowk Flyover does not have a drain line to release rainwater.
Businessman Ghazi Allaudin, stationed at the intersection, told Pakistan Today: “Haste makes waste.” Although the project was completed quickly, some prerequisites such as the drainage system were compromised, he added.
Water continued to accumulate around Kalma Chowk Flyover and other part of the city during the rain. Water flowing over the split-bridge also added to the inundation. Because of a slope towards the flyover, rainwater from Barkat Market Y-Junction and Gulberg Centre Point gathered below the newly-built bridge. At some points, water inundated the residential and business units around the flyover. The situation worsened as water kept standing in the area for many hours and Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) could not clear it up.
“The Kalma Chowk Flyover has emerged as another critical point in terms of water stagnation,” a senior official in WASA said. He said it was beyond understanding why a drainage line was not laid down in the construction of the flyover.
National Logistics Cell (NLC) Project Director Col Ibrahim Dogar admitted: “Ideally, a drain must have been laid down, but for this, the traffic had to be closed down at the junction and that ultimately would have caused nuisance to the people.” According to the initial construction plan, the drain could not be laid down simultaneously with the flyover, hence it was decided that it would be done during the construction of the underpasses, he added.
Col Ibrahim said the plan had changed and NESPAK would now revise the previous design and instead of a large drain, small side drains on either side of the road would be built.
WASA Drainage Director Captain Hafeez said proper drainage system was an important part of any development project but it had yet to be laid down for the Kalma Chowk Flyover. It would take more than one month to finalise the plan and till then, the situation would remain unchanged, he added. He said during the designing phase, NESPAK had consulted WASA regarding the drainage to seek the latter’s objections over it. The plan, he said, included laying down a 60-cusec, 8-foot wide drain that was to be connected to Barkat Market, Ferozepur Road and Centre Point. The passage had to release water to the Sattukatla drain and WASA had approved the design without any objection, he added.
Colonel (r) Ejaz Nazim of Shajardost objected to the drain and sewerage design. Ejaz said: “A lack of proper drainage and cutting down of trees on the Ferozepur Road will result in rain water inundating nearby areas.”
Sources in the Environment Department said the issue of drains was raised during the public hearing of the flyover project on May 6. However, most of the objections raised in the environmental impact assessment report on the Kalma Chowk Flyover project were hushed up by the Communications and Works Department and the Environmental Protection Department officials.