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What will it take for Karachi to recover from the damage caused by the rains?

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MenInG

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Apart from the human cost, there is a huge financial implication to this rain damage.

How will businesses come out of this and recover?

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KARACHI: As the water level receded, business and industry struggled to restore normalcy around the mega city. Fuel pumps ran dry, telecom towers fell out of service and many ATM machines were either not functioning or empty of cash.

Those few pumps where fuel was available were mobbed by motorbikes and cars as well as scores of people holding jerry cans to carry fuel for generators as the city-wide power outage extended beyond 24 hours.

People thronged to supermarkets and corner shops to replenish food stocks, only to find them shut or flooded, and in some cases, the large sections of the artificial ceilings had fallen in as rain water seeped through the roof.

“Fuel supplies at the terminals in Keamari are ample” an executive from a large oil marketing company told Dawn early on Friday. “But before we can start sending out tankers to replenish supplies at retail outlets, we have to test the fuel that is already there to determine whether or not it has been contaminated with flood water. If it has then the underground storage tank needs to first be emptied out before more fuel is poured into it.”

The process could take days but the executive told Dawn that fuel deliveries from the Keamari terminals to some outlets, where underground tanks were not contaminated, had begun by Friday evening and would continue overnight.

ATMs out of cash, fuel pumps dry, telecom service down

“The situation should substantially normalise by Saturday morning.”

The prolonged power outage also impacted many other services. Aisha Sarwari, spokesperson for Jazz told Dawn that “largely due to infrastructural challenges and power outages in Karachi, network disruptions are hard to contain, especially when the damage is this large-scale.”

She said knock on effects occur following prolonged power outages once the back up generators that power telecom towers start running out of fuel. Nobody from the telecom sector was willing to give an estimate for how long it will take to restore normal service, but most said it could take ‘a few working days’.

Many ATMs around the city were also not functional when people ventured out after the deluge. “ATMs work primarily on communication networks, availability of electricity and whether staff can reach the locations to replenish the cash” says Ali Habib, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at HBL.

He said his bank was able to ensure that “at least 55 per cent of our network across the city was functional” on Friday morning.

The inundation triggered the power outages and brought movement around the city to a halt, which in turn had knock on effects on communication, banking services and fuel supply across the city. It was late into the day on Friday when normalcy began to return to the life of the city as the weekend began.

Meanwhile, the city’s utility took to social media middle of the day on Friday to say that “close to 80 per cent feeders are powered up”.

“Many parts of Defence, Clifton, Bahadurabad continue to remain submerged and our substations are also badly affected in these areas due to waterlogging,” the statement said.

By Friday night, reports of power being restored were being received from a growing number of localities around the city.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1576950/karachi-business-grapples-with-the-aftermath-of-flooding
 
Should all this rain and water be good for the country in the long run? Wasn't the country complaining about a severe water shortage in the last 2 years?
 
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Saturday visited the K-Electric (KE) head office to take the company to task over continued power outages in numerous areas of Karachi despite the passage of nearly two days since torrential rains lashed the city.

His visit came as eight more people were found to have lost their lives in various rain-related incidents, taking the overall death toll in the record-breaking monsoon spell to 48, officials said.

Numerous key arteries and underpasses, especially in the city's downtown, and several residential areas were still inundated. Some neighbourhoods remained without power even as work continued to restore supply lines.

Examine: Now is the time to change how Karachi is governed

At the KE office, Chief Minister Shah was given a briefing on the power supply situation by KE Chief Executive Officer Moonis Alvi.

People wade through a flooded road in Saddar area on Saturday. — DawnNewsTV
"What kind of service is this that power remains absent for 30-35 hours?" Shah was quoted as saying in a statement by his office.

Noting that electricity had yet to be restored in DHA, Clifton and many other areas, the chief minister expressed the fear that citizens could "create a law and order situation" out of frustration. He said people were already protesting against the outages.

Shah, who also visited the KE control room, was informed by its CEO that 1,615 out of the power utility's 1,900 feeders were functional.

Alvi said that KE could not restore power when four feet of water was standing in some areas.

KE officials also informed the chief minister that many streets in DHA were inundated due to which "residents themselves are advising against turning on power", according to the statement.

They said the power utility could restore 50 per cent of DHA's 66 feeders by midnight to 1am if water was cleared from the area,

Acknowledging the problem, Shah made a telephone call to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board managing director, directing him to immediately take measures to dewater DHA and other others areas, the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail discussed the city's power situation in phone calls with Energy Minister Omar Ayub and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power Shahzad Qasim.

Upon being informed about residents' suffering by Ismail, Ayub told him that his ministry was in contact with KE and had directed the power utility to restore power in the city by the evening.

Ismail also called the KE CEO, telling him that the failure to restore electricity despite the passage of two days was "beyond comprehension". He asked Alvi to ensure immediate resumption of power supply, according to a statement.

In its 5pm update, KE said more than 92pc out of nearly 1,900 had been restored. It said restoration work had "progressed swiftly" where ground situations were favourable, with over 100 locations having been restored at the feeder level in two hours.

"Our restoration efforts are being affected at several locations due to the presence of stagnant rain and gutter water in substations and meter-room," the company said, adding that it was "coordinating closely" with the local authorities so that necessary drainage could be done before switching on power.

Eight more people died, half of them from drowning, in rain-related incidents, in the metropolis, police and rescue officials said on Saturday.

The body of a woman was found floating in Malir river at Korangi Crossing, which was retrieved and sent to Edhi Home in Korangi. She was identified with the help of her jewellery as Sabira Ahmed, aged around 40 to 45 years, according to the chairman of Korangi union council-37, Mushtaq Tanoli.

Ibrahim Hyderi SHO Raza Solangi said the woman had drowned in the river along with a relative, whose whereabouts were still unknown.

In another incident, the body of a man who drowned was recovered and sent to Edhi Home where he was identified by his relatives as Amjad, in his early 50s, Tanoli said. He was riding a motorcycle on his way from Bhittai Colony to Qayyumabad when strong currents swept him away. The deceased was stated to be a close relative of a senior official of the police’s Counter-Terrorism Department.

The UC chairman who is part of a rescue team said they had recovered seven motorcycles from the stream and he apprehended that 10 to 12 people were still missing who might have drowned in the Malir river.

The body of a man, identified as Bilal Yaqoob, 24, who died after drowning in a drain in Junejo Town was retrieved in Manzoor Colony and shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, according to Baloch Colony police.

Saeedabad police said an unidentified body of a boy aged around 16 years was found in a pond of rainwater in Musharraf Colony and was shifted to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.

A 40-year-old woman, Ishrat Jehan, died when she suffered an electric shock inside her home in Sector 14-D of Orangi Town, according to Chhipa officials.

A man died after being electrocuted in Natha Khan Goth; he was identified as Ghazi Khan, 50.

Another 50-year-old man, Noor Husain, died when he suffered an electric shock inside his home at Aath Chowk in Lyari area on Saturday evening, according to Chhipa. The body was shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi.

A 26-year-old, Alam Zeb, also died of electrocution at a house located on Sunset Boulevard in DHA in the evening. His body was shifted to the JPMC to fulfil legal formalities.

Many roads flooded
The KPT and Punjab Chowrangi underpasses in Clifton, which were closed for traffic on Thursday, remained filled with rainwater on Saturday.

Numerous streets in Clifton and DHA, I.I. Chundrigar Road and Aiwan-i-Sadar, where the Sindh Governor House is located, besides other thoroughfares were also flooded, making commute difficult for travellers.

In a tweet, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said work was underway to drain water from the KPT and Punjab Chowrangi underpasses.

"With electricity being restored in certain areas, pumping work is being expedited," he said, adding that the underpass at the juncture of Shahrea Faisal and Rashid Minhas Road had also been opened for traffic.

Funds to be provided for Karachi: FM Qureshi
Addressing the Hussania Conference iN Multan on Saturday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed sympathies for Karachi, which he noted was going through a lot of difficulties in the aftermath of the rains.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to make available whatever financial assistance was required for Karachi and "solid planning" would be carried out to improve the city's situation.

Qureshi said some rulers due to their "personal interests" and in order to "fill their coffers" had not carried out any planning for civic amenities in some areas.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1577022/s...tages-as-8-more-die-in-rain-related-incidents
 
Karachi is far too resilient... It'll be business as usual 10 days from now..... Akhir kar 220 million ka bhoj bhi tu apnay khandoon pe othana hai.
 
Probably a upgraded drainage system covering the whole city. Don’t these flood occur like every other year? The city can create a lot of jobs if they have a properly managed sanitation department.
 
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Tuesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan would reveal details of Karachi's development plan on Friday during his visit to the metropolis.

The announcement of a major plan for Karachi comes after torrential rainfalls lashed lower Sindh, devastating Karachi's infrastructure, causing prolonged power outages, disrupting communication, and leading to the deaths of at least 100 people in the province.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the minister said that the project — funded by the Centre, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the Sindh government — would address several issues of the city.

"There are several problems in Karachi, including sewerage, provision of water, solid waste management, and transport," Faraz noted.

The federal government has developed this comprehensive plan to address Karachi's dismal civic issues, Faraz said, adding that it could not be done without the cooperation of the Sindh government.


Speaking of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the information minister said that now even the court has instructed the PML-N supremo to return at any cost.

"If a three-time prime minister considers himself above the law, then the people really need to think [about who they elect]," he said.

Talking about the Financial Action Task Force's legislation, he said that the opposition should decide whether it wants to stand with Pakistan or India.

"India is our external enemy and spares no chances to bring us harm [...] we won't let India succeed in its plans pertaining to FATF."

'Promises not fulfilled'
Responding to the information minister's remarks on the plan for Karachi, Sindh government spokesperson Senator Murtaza Wahab said that he believes it is just another "promise that will not be fulfilled".

"In terms of revenue, Karachi is accorded importance as the Centre's 70% revenue comes from the city. But when its infrastructure needs [attention], the federal government shows no interest," Wahab said in a video message.


Sindh government spokesperson Senator Murtaza Wahab. — Geo.tv
The senator said that people come to Karachi, make "big promises", but never fulfil them.

Reminding the prime minister of his promise to invest Rs162 billion in Karachi, Wahab questioned where those funds had gone.

"The Centre has not invested a penny in Karachi," Wahab said.

He said that even after two years, the federal government is saying it is "bringing a plan into action". "Even today, they think all they have to do is make big statements rather than work."

'PM Imran has devised a plan for Karachi'
Earlier, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail had said that to mitigate the infrastructural and urban flooding issues in Karachi, PM Imran had devised a plan which will be shared with all the major stakeholders on his visit to the city.

The governor, held a press conference in Karachi to address the pressing issues of the country, particularly the woes of the financial capital of Pakistan.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan finalised a plan for Karachi in yesterday's meeting,” said the Sindh governor.

The Sindh governor said that whatever the federal government is doing is based on the divisions outlined by the National Finance Commission Award to provinces.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/305602-pm-imran-to-reveal-details-of-karachis-plan-on-friday-faraz
 

Here is Shabhaz Sharif in Karachi. Held a meeting with Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari and Bilawal have not once gone in public to express solidarity with the victims in a city in their own province, a province where they have held provincial govt for the last 12 years. The same Zardari whom Shabhaz Sharif threatened to hang once he came to power. The same Shahbaz Sharif who is lecturing the federal government not to play politics at this time and at the same time is blaming the federal government for not providing any funds to the provincial government all this while.

This is just badniyati personified.
 
COAS Bajwa meets Karachi traders, assures early resolution of issues facing city

(Karachi) Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa met a delegation of traders on Wednesday and assured them that the issues of the city would be resolved soon, media reported.

During the meeting, the traders conveyed their grievances to the army chief and urged him to bound the electricity, gas, water and other utility providers to solve issues faced by the city.

They said Karachi pays a tax of Rs 2,600 billion annually and therefore its issues should be solved on a priority basis. The traders said the recent downpour halted all industrial and economic activity in the metropolis badly affecting the business community.

On the occasion, the COAS said that a committee has been formed comprising the representatives of federal and provincial governments to solve the issues faced by the city. He mentioned the business community would also be given representation in the body.

“The problems of Karachi would be solved and a complete change would be made within a period of three years,” the COAS said.

Bajwa maintained that issues facing the city, including road infrastructure, water, power and gas would be resolved on priority.

The army chief reached Karachi on a two-day visit on Tuesday. He was flown over the city for aerial reconnaissance of the ground impact of urban flooding.

The COAS was briefed about worst urban flooding in the recent history of Karachi and Army’s support to the civil administration across Sindh and particularly Karachi. He was apprised that unprecedented rains combined with decades of urban congestion, unplanned population settlement as well as infrastructural issues compounded the problem.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/4001...ssures-early-resolution-of-issues-facing-city
 
Karachi/Islamabad, Pakistan - For Shahzad Ahmed, there was no time to think.

"The windows broke and the door caved in, that's how intense the water pressure was," he said of the first night of torrential monsoon rain in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, last week.

"We didn't even try to take the water out of the house. I just tied my rickshaw [to a pole] as tightly as I could and my family and I [got on] the rooftop."

Ahmed, his wife and children spent more than 10 hours on that roof, in the pouring rain, as Karachi saw more than 230mm of rainfall in less than 12 hours, the most ever recorded, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

This year, Pakistan has seen some of the most intense monsoon rains in years, with more than 189 people killed and thousands of homes washed away in flooding across the country, according to the country's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) (PDF).

We used to have clean drinking water, but we haven’t had any since the rain started.

Karachi, a sprawling metropolis of more than 20 million people, was one of the worst-hit by the urban flooding. Streets turned to rivers, as the sheer volume of water quickly overloaded the city's dilapidated and ill-maintained drainage systems.

In Ahmed's working-class neighbourhood of Yousuf Goth, a video taken after the rains showed water flowing through the streets, mixing with sewage and solid waste, as residents waded through it to salvage what they can from their homes.

"What we need most right now is clean drinking water and vegetables. You can't make a meal out of oil or just packets [of dry food]," said Azhar Abbas, a shopkeeper in the same neighbourhood.

Muhammad Rashid, 29, a construction worker, said his family was trapped at home, but he had to wade through the sewage periodically to try and find drinking water.

"The only thing I left the house for was water," he said. "We slept without food on the first night. We were safe on our roof, but I kept leaving in the five feet of water just to get [drinking] water."

The city's main thoroughfares did not cope much better, submerged under several feet of water, leaving cars stranded or washed away in the flow. Desperate residents took to contracting agricultural tractors to try and winch their vehicles out.

Electricity supply across the city failed, or was pre-emptively cut, almost immediately, as the city's main utility company reported its substations were being flooded. The pre-emptive cuts were aimed at limiting deaths due to electrocution if exposed wires were to come into contact with water in the streets.

At least six people died as a result of such electrocutions, hospital officials told Al Jazeera.

Ahmed said he had to take the risk to move his family after 48 hours spent on their rooftop without electricity, water or natural gas to cook with.

"I was worried about the [electricity] current in the waters, but when the choice is between certain death by starvation or possibly electrocution, what could I do?"

'Governance system failure'
As the rains now begin to subside, the hard work of cleaning up the debris and rebuilding will begin. In a city as divided and administratively "broken" as Karachi, however, urban planners and researchers said that will be easier said than done.

"It is an overall governance system failure," said Farhan Anwar, an urban planner and faculty member at Karachi's Habib University. "You can't isolate a particular cause for it [because] we have, over the years, allowed the city to develop and grow without planning or regulation or a framework."

Anwar said the city was "on its knees" after the rains, and that its institutions, plagued by decades of mismanagement, a lack of planning and political contestation, simply do not have the capacity to deal with the situation.

"These institutions of governance that are responsible for maintaining services, whether it is water, solid waste management, land, transportation or sewage, they are all totally bankrupt," he said.

"Right now, it's like kicking a dead horse. They just don't have the capacity for it."

One of the reasons for this, Anwar and others told Al Jazeera, is the complex nature of Karachi's administrative setup. The city is administered by more than a dozen land-owning civic agencies, all of which work independently and are not beholden to a single set of policies.

The city has a mayor, elected in 2016, but he said he only controls 12 percent of the city's overall area.

The rest of the city is managed by a mix of federal and provincial government-controlled landholding bodies, cooperative housing societies, the port authority, the railways department, industrial area authorities and military-run cantonments (PDF).

This situation, Anwar argued, has "straitjacketed" growth and development in Karachi.

"Various agencies have control over resources and management and there is no collaboration or coordination between them ... Everyone is on their own."

As political parties play out their contestations over civic institutions, analysts said, it has left most bankrupt.

"The confrontation between the Pakistan People's Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement over the years has resulted in a tug of war that is played out within these institutions," said Anwar.

Nazish Brohi, a social sector researcher, says Karachi's history of violence - it was the site of brutal political violence through the 1990s and again from 2008 onwards - means there is a high price associated with any kind of reform.

"Because Karachi has been so volatile, in terms of conflict and violence in the past, no one wants to disturb the equilibrium," she said. "The minute someone intervenes, there is fear of a conflagration."

In 2012, Karachi was the world's most dangerous megacity, with a homicide rate far higher than any other city of its size, as the battle for power in the city, rooted in ethnic and identity-based politics, played itself out on the city's streets.

A military operation targeting the MQM party, which was held responsible for much of the violence, has since reduced the number of violent deaths in the city considerably, although critics said the operation itself involved a large number of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.

The scars of that violence can affect everything, even the rebuilding of the city's drainage system, argues Brohi. She gives the example of the need to clear the city's drainage channels of illegally built structures that have blocked them.

"The drainage channels are choked right now, and those encroachments obviously need to be cleared," she said. "But when the city is undergirded by an ethnic grid, then questions of which drainage channel you touch first can lead to a conflagration."

The worst-hit area
One of the largest landholding bodies in Karachi is the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), a civic authority run by the country's powerful military that controls 5 percent of urban Karachi's land (PDF).

This week, hundreds of residents protested outside the offices DHA's sister body, the Clifton Cantonment Board (CCB), demanding authorities do more to drain water that had been standing in their streets and homes for days.

In a statement, DHA said its staff was "working round the clock to bring life back to normal", adding that it would work with the protesters to address the concerns of residents.

A day later, it also registered police charges against protest organisers for "rioting [while] armed with a deadly weapon" at the angry, but peaceful protest.

The area, one of the richest in Karachi, was surprisingly some of the worst-hit, with many neighbourhoods remaining inundated a week after the worst of the rains. Video footage shared with Al Jazeera showed residents complaining of flooded roads and basements, with many forced to sleep on rooftops on in stairwells.

For the city's urban poor, the situation has been even worse.

"A lot of people have lost everything, a lot of their saving and investment was in the form of their appliances or furniture," said Haris Gazdar, senior researcher at the Collective for Social Science Research. "And if you are even poorer than that, you have no assets other than maybe your [food] ration that you had stored up."

"We live from hand to mouth and it was the end of the month," says Kulsoom Bibi, a housekeeper in the Mehmoodabad neighbourhood. "For two days, neither my sister nor I could get out because to [leave] the ... tunnel was filled to the brim."

The impact of the floods is also continuing for many, as their livelihoods or businesses have been decimated by the water.

"How will patients reach me? They can't. I haven't seen any patients at my clinic since it started to rain," said Arif Javed, a herbalist doctor standing amidst the wreckage of his store.

Azhar Abbas, a shopkeeper, returned home after having moved to a relative's home in a drier neighbourhood for a few days.

"It's been 12 days since we had proper electricity," he said. "We used to have clean drinking water, but we haven't had any since the rain started."

Climate change
On Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan directed authorities to prepare a plan within a week to reform Karachi's administrative systems.

Experts, however, scoffed at the idea that anything will change on the ground unless the underlying political contestation and other issues are not addressed.

"It's not that the city has not been planned for," said Anwar, the urban planner. "There are so many plans, so many master plans, it's just a matter of implementation and political consensus existing, and a level of sincerity of how you want to do it."

For Gazdar, fixing Karachi's problems goes beyond bureaucratic reshuffles - it requires both a fundamental reorganisation of administrative authority, and a clear focus on climate change.

"Flooding happens everywhere, even in cities in very advanced countries - they also suffer flooding and droughts and fires and so on," he said.

"A lot of it is a failure to detect what the planet is trying to tell us. If you look at a global picture of the planet, [this is] a failure of the way we live our lives."

In recent years, Karachi, and the Sindh province of which it is a part, has seen increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, leading to periods of drought and flood, and rainfall intensity changes that have badly affected agricultural practices that have stood in place for centuries.

Asked if he believes any of this will change, however, Gazdar laughs.

"What will happen in the coming weeks is that some other issue will take the spotlight," he says. "Seven days is a nice period of time, because on the seventh day something else would have happened somewhere else in the country, and that needs another seven days, and before you know it another 70 years will go by."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...hi-broken-monsoon-floods-200903112227304.html
 
Eight dead in rain-related incidents as urban flooding paralyzes city

t least eight people have lost their lives in various rain-related incidents as heavy downpours continued to lash the city since Tuesday morning, disrupting daily life and crippling civic infrastructure.

The intermittent heavy rain caused urban flooding in several areas, leaving roads submerged and the city’s routine activities paralyzed.

According to reports, four people were killed in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 12 when a wall collapsed. Two others died from electrocution in North Karachi and Defence, while another young man lost his life to electrocution in Orangi Town.

Additionally, one person was killed after a fire broke out at a petrol pump in Malir during the rain.


arynews.tv

Karachi: Eight dead in rain-related incidents as urban flooding paralyzes city

KARACHI: At least eight people have lost their lives in various rain-related incidents as heavy downpours continued to lash the city since Tuesday
arynews.tv arynews.tv
 
More heavy rains forecast for Karachi, Sindh till Aug 23

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a fresh heavy rain alert for Sindh, warning of very heavy downpours in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur over the next 12 to 24 hours.

NDMA warns of urban flooding and flash floods

According to the NDMA, more than 50 to 100 millimetres of rainfall is expected in a short span, raising fears of severe urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas. The authority also cautioned of possible flash floods in Thatta, Badin, Jamshoro and Dadu. Rising water levels in the Indus River and drains may cause flooding in low-lying areas.

Officials warned that low-lying areas may be submerged, highways and local roads could face closures, and power and telecommunication services may be disrupted for longer durations.

Death toll rises amid relentless rains

The NDMA confirmed that 47 people lost their lives in the past 24 hours, with the highest casualties reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (35). Other fatalities included one in Punjab, two in Balochistan, two in Gilgit-Baltistan and seven in Azad Kashmir. At least 32 others were injured, including 25 in KP, two in Punjab, one in Balochistan, four in Azad Kashmir.

Karachi rainfall breaks records

The Meteorological Department said intermittent rain will continue in Karachi till August 23, with light to moderate showers expected today.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said in a press conference on Wednesday that Tuesday's rain had stopped around 8pm, during which Mangopir recorded 235mm of rain, Gulshan-e-Hadeed 202mm, and Karachi Airport 190mm. He said that Karachi received an average of 170mm to 175mm of rain in 12 hours.

He further said that Karachi's drains, which have a capacity of 40mm of rain, received an eight-fold increase of 240mm water.

The mayor admitted that the city faced difficulties but insisted that drainage operations were carried out promptly. He noted that major bottlenecks like the Nursery drain had been cleared, though heavy traffic delayed machinery access to Shahrah-e-Faisal.

“Rainfall was extraordinary, but our teams worked round the clock. I appeal to citizens to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel during urban flooding,” Wahab said.

Alert: More heavy rains forecast for Karachi, Sindh till Aug 23

NDMA warns of urban flooding in Karachi and Sindh as 47 deaths reported in 24 hours; more heavy rains expected till August 23.
www.samaa.tv www.samaa.tv
 

NDMA puts Karachi on flood alert as heavy rains pound city again​


National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) Emergency Operations Centre said extremely heavy rainfall is expected over the next 12–24 hours in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and adjoining areas.

According to the statement, more than 50 to 100 millimetres of rain could fall in a short period. Owing to intense rainfall and inadequate drainage, the danger of urban flooding remains in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas.

In addition, flash floods are feared in Thatta, Badin, Jamshoro and Dadu districts, while rising water levels in the Indus River and its tributaries could trigger flooding in low-lying areas.

Second spell of rain hits Karachi on Wednesday as the city reeled from record monsoon downpours a day earlier that left at least 11 people dead, inundated neighbourhoods, disrupted power supply and damaged roads.

Rain was reported around Sharah-e-faisal
https://twitter.com/x/status/1957991699369886134

Also reported around Kala Pull

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday said the city’s recent downpour was part of the wider challenge of climate change, which has also destroyed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir in recent days.

Addressing a press conference, he said global warming and climate change were a reality and a test for administrations worldwide, citing the situations in New York, Dubai and Mumbai.

The mayor said the heavy rains left residents facing difficulties, with criticism and political point-scoring further exacerbating the situation. He noted that Karachi’s stormwater drains have a capacity of only 40mm. “When rainfall exceeds this amount, consequences become evident,” he said.

He posted on X, urging citizens to avoid Shaheed-e-Millat Road as clearing work was underway at the underpasses, and advised using Stadium Road or Shahrah-e-Quaideen as alternatives.

Traffic diversions also remained in place across the metropolis amid the lingering aftermath of the deluge.

PMD spokesperson Anjum Nazir Zaigham forecast that thunderstorms with rain could begin across Karachi within the next two hours.

He warned that due to expected rainfall today and tomorrow, there remained risks of urban flooding.

Rain relief efforts continued through the night and by Wednesday morning, Sharah-e-Faisal was mostly cleared, as was Shahrah-e-Bhutto. However, Korangi Crossing near Qayyumanbad remained flooded and closed from either side.

Vehicles were diverted from Qayyumabad Chowrangi towards Baloch Colony and from the CNG cut towards Godown Chowrangi, Express News reported.

The EBM Causeway Road near Mehmoodabad was also shut, with diversions set from Mehmoodabad towards the Expressway and from Godam Chowrangi towards Qayyumabad and Shan Chowrangi.

On Sharae Faisal, the track from the airport remained closed because of deep potholes and accumulated water, forcing traffic diversions from Star Gate.

Tariq Road underpass on Shahrah-e-Millat and Drigh Road Underpass towards the airport were also shut, with vehicles redirected to the service lane.

In Nazimabad, multiple underpasses — including Nazimabad No 1, Nazimabad No 2, Liaquatabad and the stretch linking Habib Bank to Hakim Ibn-e-Sina Road — were closed to traffic.

At Sohrab Goth, the underpass was declared impassable, with traffic from Shafiq Mor diverted over the underpass.

Urdu Bazaar
https://twitter.com/x/status/1957769352612311059
Several vehicles were stranded between Model Colony and Sharae Faisal. The Nazimabad Chowrangi underpass near Sir Syed College also remained submerged and both tracks were unusable.

Meanwhile, the road from Liaquatabad Post Office to Sindh Hotel, which caved in during Tuesday’s rains, still awaits restoration.

Trash bins were placed on the collapsed stretch to warn pedestrians

Jehangir Road, Guru Mandir

Public transport bus stuck in a pothole in the Korangi area, where the road had recently been dug up.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the heaviest rainfall was recorded in Gulshan-e-Hadeed (178mm) and Keamari (173mm). Other significant totals were logged at Airport Old Area (163.5mm), Jinnah Terminal (156.4mm), Surjani Town (151.4mm), Nazimabad (149.6mm), North Karachi (148.8mm), Saadi Town (146mm), Met Office University Road (145mm), Korangi (138.7mm), DHA Phase VII (138mm), PAF Faisal Base (133mm), Gulshan-e-Maymar (102.6mm), PAF Masroor Base (101mm) and Orangi Town (81.2mm).

Bahria Town reported the lowest at 4.8mm. Eastern and port-side areas, including Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Airport and Keamari, were the hardest hit.

Monsoon-related casualties

A young man, around 24, was electrocuted near a pole in Defence Phase 6, while another, identified as Saad Ali, 24, died near the PAF Base Post Office on Shahrah-e-Faisal.

In North Karachi’s Sector 5-A/3, 65-year-old Ishaq lost his life after an electric shock inside his home.

A K-Electric spokesperson expressed grief over the fatal incident in New Karachi and extended condolences to the bereaved family, adding that initial findings suggested the death occurred inside the home and was not linked to the company’s infrastructure.

The spokesperson urged citizens to exercise extreme caution while handling electrical appliances during rain, and to stay away from power installations and poles.

An 18-year-old motorcyclist, Yasir, died from electrocution near the Defence Gizri Bridge after an electric wire fell onto the roadside.

Separately, the body of a 50-year-old man, Muhammad Abbas, was recovered from an uncovered drain near Gurumandir. Abbas, along with his son and another man, had fallen into the drain on Tuesday night while wading through knee-deep water.

Two of them were rescued immediately, while Abbas’s body was later recovered by Edhi volunteers and shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital.

According to Chhipa, an eight-year-old boy, Abdullah, son of Abbas, died when a wall collapsed near the Aqsa Mosque in Orangi Town’s Sector 11.5. His body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

In another incident in Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Block 12, four members of a family were killed and a child was injured after a wall of their house gave way.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1958097063490503100

The deceased were identified as Maryam, 4, Hamza, 3, and Samiya, 24, wife of Mubeen, along with another man aged around 28. A 10-year-old boy was injured in the collapse.

Residents of a building in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 18 were trapped in their flats due to rainwater accumulation and used makeshift stairs to exit the premises.

City officials said drainage operations were underway but warned that diversions and closures would persist in low-lying areas until floodwaters receded and damaged roads were repaired.

Sharjani Town sector four, 112 rescue operations are underway.

Residents trapped in their homes due to rainwater accumulation were being evacuated with the help of boats.

Public Holiday

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced a public holiday in Karachi for Wednesday, August 20, as the city struggled with heavy rainfall and widespread disruption.

The chief minister urged citizens to stay indoors, noting that more downpours were forecast and the holiday was aimed at sparing residents additional hardship.

According to an official notification issued by the Commissioner’s office, the Sindh government declared August 20 a holiday in the Karachi Division, excluding essential services, due to ongoing monsoon rains and the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s advisory of further widespread showers.

Power supply update

Following the heavy monsoon rains, K-Electric’s generation, transmission and distribution system remains stable, with electricity being supplied across the city through approximately 2,000 feeders, the company’s spokesperson said.

Restoration work is underway in affected areas as soon as standing rainwater recedes and ground teams issue safety clearance, the spokesperson added.

The areas where supply has been restored include Saima Pari Centre in Surjani Town, KDA Apartments, Hill View Apartments, North Nazimabad Blocks A, C, D, I, J, K, R and S, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 10-A, Murtaza Chowrangi, Sector 21 and Sector 29 in Korangi, as well as Khayaban-e-Shamsheer, Khayaban-e-Shaheen, Gizri Boulevard and Commercial Streets 1 to 4 in Defence.

Power supply has also been restored to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Road, Khalid Bin Waleed Road, PECHS Blocks 2 and 3, PIB, Nafeesabad and Iqbal Colony.

The spokesperson said K-Electric’s management and staff remain fully engaged and in continuous coordination with the city administration.

Citizens have been urged to observe safety precautions, stay away from electrical infrastructure and poles, and exercise caution when using electrical appliances.

For complaints, consumers can contact the 118 call centre or reach out through K-Electric’s social media platforms.

Internet connectivity

A significant internet disruption hit Pakistan on Tuesday evening, severely impacting connectivity nationwide. According to the global internet observatory NetBlocks, national internet access dropped to just 20% of normal levels.

"Metrics show a major disruption to internet connectivity across Pakistan with high impact to backbone operator PTCL; overall national connectivity is down to 20% of ordinary levels," NetBlocks reported in a post on X.
 

Wahab pins Karachi torrential rain damage on climate change​


Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday said the city’s recent downpour was part of the wider challenge of climate change, which has also caused destruction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir in recent days.

Addressing a press conference, he said global warming and climate change were a reality and a test for administrations worldwide, citing the situations in New York, Dubai and Mumbai.

The mayor said the heavy rains left residents facing difficulties, with criticism and political point-scoring further exacerbating the situation. He noted that Karachi’s stormwater drains have a capacity of only 40mm. “When rainfall exceeds this amount, consequences become evident,” he said.

“Yesterday, Karachi also witnessed torrential rains,” he said, adding that two spells hit the city on the same day, with the first beginning in the morning. He said drainage efforts were launched once the rain subsided and conditions on main roads had improved by 12.30pm.

A second spell struck around 1.15pm, continuing non-stop until early Wednesday morning, according to Wahab. Manghopir received 235mm of rain, while more than 170mm was recorded across the city in 12 hours.

He urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and warned that the biggest challenge during rescue operations was maintaining traffic flow.

While climate change is undoubtedly intensifying extreme weather events, the misery faced by Karachi’s citizens stems less from nature’s wrath and more from the city’s decayed governance and poor infrastructure. In a metropolis of over 20 million, drains remain clogged with garbage, roads collapse after a few hours of rain, and underpasses turn into death traps.

At least a dozen people lost their lives in the latest spell of monsoon rains, most from electrocution and house collapses.

Unlike northern Pakistan, where recent rains triggered flash floods and landslides, Karachi’s fatalities were largely the result of urban management failures — exposed wires, open drains, weak housing structures and inadequate drainage systems — underscoring the city’s vulnerability to preventable tragedies.

Source: The Express Tribune
 
Power outages persist in Karachi hours after last rain spell

Power outages continued to torment Karachiites on Friday, hours after record-breaking monsoon rains battered the city, leaving several neighborhoods and apartment substations without electricity.

Water seeping into underground cables has led to prolonged power cuts in different parts of the city, with some areas without power for four consecutive days.

Electricity remained cut off for long hours in several neighborhoods, including Moinabad, Surjani Town, Yousuf Goth, Safora Goth, Kaneez Fatima Society, Madras Chowk, Nauman Square, Scheme 33, Baldia, parts of Defence Housing Authority, Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 10, Bin Qasim, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Manghopir, Razzaqabad, Urdu Bazaar area, and MA Jinnah Road.

Residents of several areas are also facing water shortages as a consequence of prolonged power failures. A spokesperson for K-Electric told The Express Tribune that restoration work is underway. “Power has been restored in most areas. Out of 2,100 feeders, only 40 remain down as of now due to waterlogging,” said the spokesperson.

Citizens blocked roads and staged demonstrations outside the power utility's offices on University Road, Tipu Sultan Road, Malir, and Liaquat Market, demanding immediate restoration of power.

In Malir, the blockage on the Mehran Depot route disrupted the People’s Bus Service's operations, while protests on Jinnah Avenue and its surrounding areas caused major traffic disruptions.

Sindh Energy Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah made a surprise visit to K-Electric’s headquarters on Thursday, directing officials to address public grievances on an urgent basis.

tribune.com.pk

City on edge: Karachi returns to routine under shadow of rain chaos | The Express Tribune

Schools reopen as Karachi recovers from record rains and outages
tribune.com.pk tribune.com.pk
 
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said that the overall situation in Sindh remains under control as the provincial government and city administration implement precautionary measures ahead of expected rainfall and floods.

Talking to the media on Friday, Wahab said the Sindh government has taken all necessary steps and that the chief minister has issued directives to all departments involved in emergency response.

“All government machinery is active and alert. Ministers and members of the assembly have been assigned duties across Sindh,” Wahab added.

He said that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) completed preparations in anticipation of upcoming rainfall, including the clearing of choked drainage points in the city’s key areas.

“Municipal services will be fully active during rainfall, and city wardens will also play their part,” he said, adding that traffic police and wardens will remain on roads to assist with movement and safety.

www.thenews.com.pk

Sindh braces for 'super flood' as Punjab rivers continue to swell

Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro has warned of a potential super flood in the province as the Punjab rivers continue to swell and heavy rainfall is forecast across the country.Speaking on...
www.thenews.com.pk www.thenews.com.pk
 

Karachi at risk of 'urban flooding', shows latest forecast​


The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of intermittent heavy showers across Sindh from September 7 to 10, cautioning that low-lying areas of Karachi and other cities may experience urban flooding.

According to the PMD, a low-pressure system currently lies over India’s Madhya Pradesh and is expected to move towards adjoining areas of Rajasthan, reaching parts of Sindh by September 6. Under this system, strong monsoon currents are likely to penetrate Sindh and eastern Punjab from September 6.

The PMD has predicted rains in Tharparkar, Mithi, Islamkot, Nagarparkar, Chachro, Diplo, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Jamshoro, Dadu, Kashmore, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Ghotki and Karachi.

It has further cautioned that heavy downpours may submerge low-lying areas in Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tharparkar, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal and Hyderabad.

The Met Office added that several districts of Balochistan are also expected to receive rainfall. Meanwhile, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and multiple districts of Punjab are forecast to witness rains between September 6 and 8.

The PMD has warned that rains may worsen conditions in Punjab’s flood-affected areas and cause flooding in seasonal nullahs.

'Landslide alert'​

Separately, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a landslide alert for Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir due to possible heavy rains. NDMA said rains are expected in Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, Haveli, Bagh, Poonch and Sudhnoti, increasing the risk of landslides along the Karakoram Highway.

It added that Turghar Road, Battagram Road, Shangla Road, Lower Kohistan Road and Tattapani Road could also be affected. Gilgit Road, Hunza Road and parts of Skardu and Chitral face similar threats.

The NDMA confirmed that the National Emergencies Operation Centre has been made fully operational round-the-clock to monitor the evolving situation.

thenews.com.pk

Karachi at risk of 'urban flooding', shows latest forecast

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned of intermittent heavy showers across Sindh from September 7 to 10, cautioning that low-lying areas of Karachi and other cities may experience urban...
thenews.com.pk thenews.com.pk
 

Karachi may see heavier rainfall later today as light showers continue​


Following Sunday's heavy rain, which raised fears of urban flooding, light showers returned to Karachi on Monday as dark clouds lingered over the city, weather officials said.

Drizzle was reported in several areas, including Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Korangi Road, Sharea Faisal, Burns Road, MA Jinnah Road, Qayyumabad, Mehmoodabad, Manzoor Colony and Baloch Colony.

Light rain was also recorded on University Road, Jamshed Road, Jehangir Road, Yaseenabad and Gulshan-e-Iqbal.


According to weather experts, the drizzle could last between 30 and 60 minutes. They added that if the system shifts westward, Karachi may receive heavier rainfall later in the day.

Elsewhere in Sindh, intermittent showers continued across Tharparkar, while Larkana and its adjoining areas were lashed by heavy downpours.

Heavy rain also battered Khairpur and its outskirts with thunder and lightning, while downpours over Kot Diji and the Aror hills flooded local storm drains and nullahs. Kashmore, meanwhile, saw light showers that turned the weather pleasant.

Heavy rainfall lashed several parts of Karachi on Sunday, with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warning that the downpours could trigger urban flooding in the city’s low-lying areas.

Light to heavy rain is being reported in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Malir Halt, Rafa-e-Aam, Bahria Town and surrounding areas near the M9 Motorway.

According to the Met Office, rain-bearing clouds are currently present over the eastern parts of the megacity. “These clouds may spread further in the city,” it added.

“Unusual downpours” are expected in Sindh during the next 48 hours, warned the Met Office.

It added that the “depression” over India’s southwest Rajasthan and Gujarat has strengthened into a “deep depression”.

The “deep depression” is likely to enter southeastern Sindh within the next 24 hours, said the Met Office.

Under the influence of the weather system, heavy rains were expected in Tharparkar, Umarkot and other cities of Sindh till September 10.

Karachi is also expected to receive intermittent heavy rain with thunderstorms and gusty winds during the period, it added.

Sindh government spokesperson Saadia Javed on Monday said that the recent spell of rainfall in Karachi last month had turned into a disaster, with the city receiving 200 millimetres of rain within a few hours.

She said the entire province is currently on high alert due to the risk of urban flooding, adding that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation staff has also been placed on high alert.

She urged citizens to avoid leaving their homes unnecessarily.

Saadia Javed said the Sindh government would decide on school closures after reviewing advisories from the National Disaster Management Authority and the Met Office.

www.thenews.com.pk

Karachi may see heavier rainfall later today as light showers continue

KARACHI: Following Sunday's heavy rain, which raised fears of urban flooding, light showers returned to Karachi on Monday as dark clouds lingered over the city, weather officials said.Drizzle was...
www.thenews.com.pk www.thenews.com.pk
 
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