Karachi:
Traffic in Karachi began to move again Wednesday after authorities managed to drain much of the rainwater that had paralyzed the city one day earlier when a stormmonsun rainfall turned Metropolis and paralyzed daily life.
The rain, which had hitherto spared southern parts of the country, hit Karachi on Tuesday with devastating strength. Roads turned into rivers, drainage lines collapsed, the power supply was cut, and the city’s fragile infrastructure all except hollow under pressure.
On Wednesday morning, officials said the accumulated water had largely disappeared. The Sindh Government had declared a holiday the previous day, expanding the closure of educational institutions on Wednesday through Thursday, when another spell with heavy rain swept across the city.
At least 10 people were reported dead in Karachi – the city with more than 20 million inhabitants – as a result of urban floods, collapse of house and electrocosses, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
NDMA’s Emergency Operations Center warned of “extremely heavy rain” in Karachi and other major cities in Sindh and called for caution when several monsoon systems move on. “Another (rain) magic form is to start by the end of the month,” said NDMA chairman of Haider Malik.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) expected widespread rain, wind and thunderstorms, with scattered heavy to very heavy rain in central and lower Sindh, as well as in southern Balochistan, Thursday.
An advisor warned that torrential rain could trigger the city’s flood in low -lying areas of Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tando Allayar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sanghar and Jamshoro.
PMD also warned that intense rainfall, wind storms and lightning can damage vulnerable structures – including kacha houses, advertising boards, power bars, solar panels and vehicles – and could offset flash floods in the southern districts of Balochistan.
In Balochistan, the department predicted partially cloudy sky with rain and thunderstorms in Gwadar, Lasbela, Ormara, Pasni, Kech, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Kalat, Quetta and Ziarat with chances of heavy falls in some areas.
(With input from agencies)
