PTI minister asks nation for help by donating for ‘Clean Karachi’ campaign

Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi on Monday asked for donations to support the #LetsCleanKHI initiative’s first phase, a day after announcing the ‘Clean Karachi’ campaign.

Zaidi has claimed that over Rs1.75 billion is required over a period of 90 days to execute the first phase of the cleanliness drive.

Just for everyone’s info, Phase 1 needs over Rs. 175+C over 90 days!

This phase includes cleaning of 5 major & 6 feeder ‘Nalas’ while simultaneously picking up trash from across the city.

I am truly humbled by all the support received

Thank you all once again ?#LetsCleanKHI

— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) August 5, 2019

To receive donations, the minister shared bank details as well.

Friends of #LetsCleanKHI drive who want to help, please deposit ur donations directly:

ACC NAME:
FWO-CLEAN KARACHI

ACC NO: 0786-7918163603

IBAN:
PK41 HABB 0007 8679 1816 3603

Bank: HBL
Deposit in any of the 1600+ branches of @HBLPak

Let’s clean our great city

Thank you

— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) August 5, 2019

While briefing the media on the initiative, he said that Karachi has a total of 38 nullahs, including 13 major, and all directly flow into the sea and encroachment on them would be removed if needed during the ‘Clean Karachi’ initiative and added that that he was in the city on the directives of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

He urged the Sindh government to immediately impose a province-wide ban on the use of plastic bags and appealed to the occupants living on nullahs to voluntarily vacate the space, pledging that the government will provide them houses in the Pakistan Scheme residential project.

He said 50 to 60 per cent of the city lives in shantytowns. “There is no town planning on how to develop low-income areas. But what can they do? They can’t sleep on the roads and that land was empty,” he said while adding that if someone had made a low-income housing scheme, this wouldn’t happen.

Furthermore, he said that the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) will be managing the ‘Clean Karachi’ campaign voluntarily. “The FWO has the capacity to complete it [drive]. It has machinery and experience, therefore, it has been decided to utilise it for the drive,” he said and added that FWO officials had sat together with the local bodies officials to see where the trash needed to be removed first and what points it would station its heavy machinery.

Moreover, the ruling party has claimed that around 5,000 volunteers have approached them to take part in the drive as they are tired of the city’s po0r image and living conditions.

“We will clean Karachi once, he said, adding that after that, it will be the city’s responsibility to maintain it,” Zaidi concluded.