KARACHI - A delegation of United Nations Association of Pakistan (UNAP) called on Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar in his office on Monday to discuss with him climate change and air pollution in Karachi.

Advisor to Mayor Karachi Farhat Khan, senior director municipal services Masood Alam, director technical S M Shukaib and others were also present on this occasion.

The president of UNAP Moohi during the meeting referred to a recent international research on environmental pollution said this study provided sufficient evidence that Karachi is one of the severely affected cities of the world by the climate change whereas the air pollution levels are also found alarmingly high in most parts of the city.

She said the UNAP deeply concerned with the current situation of environment and wishes to help improve the city’s environment together with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

She also said that a plantation campaign to plant 5,000 trees by UNAP in Karachi city is also under consideration.

Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar said KMC is ready to provide all possible support and help in the UNAP’s efforts to achieve the united nation’s sustainable development goals set for 2030 in respect to health, education, gender equality and environment.

He said it was important that air pollution and climate change affects in Karachi had been noticed on international level and we will provide all possible cooperation to the UN and other world organisations in this respect.

He said KMC on its own doing all what it could to ensure better and clean environment in the city of Karachi and in this connection cleanliness drive and tree plantation was also being carried out in different areas of the city.

Meanwhile, Wasim Akhtar issued various orders during a meeting on the fire brigade department held in his office on Monday.

These include inclusion of fire tenders and machinery in the fire brigade fleet which had been procured with the amount allocated for fire brigade in the Karachi Package, distribution of fire brigade’s mechanical, electrical section in three zones and establishment of three workshops for repairing and maintenance of fire tenders and other machinery whereas it was also decided to depute a mechanical engineer in this connection.

The meeting was also attended by the advisor to mayor Karachi Farhat Khan, Director Municipal Services Masood Alam, Director Fire Brigade Syed Tasneem Ahmed and other staff of the electrical and mechanical sections of all fire stations.

Mayor Karachi said the fire brigade department is very important and sensitive department as it saves the people’s lives and property that is why it held significance in my priorities.

He said the workshops will be setup in the Landhi, Sohrab Goth and Central Fire Stations which would provide maintenance and repairing services to district Malir & Korangi, district Central & East and district West & South respectively.

He said soon new fire tenders will be provided to the fire brigade under Karachi Package and the new fire tenders and snorkel would not only improve the performance of fire brigade but also fulfill the requirements of the department.

He said the holding of this prior meeting was aimed at making the staff and workshops operational before the arrival of new machinery and vehicles. He said the staff will also be provided with electrical and mechanical training.

He said physical verification of fire brigade staff was underway and no fire risk allowance will be paid to those who did not observe punctuality in their duty hours and long absconding employees will be terminated after fulfilling legal formalities.

He said better results achieved with the transfer of all fire stations heads and now this process will be repeated for all employees of fire brigade.