Karachi braces itself for rain, nullahs only half cleaned
The third spell of monsoon rain is expected to hit Sindh and Balochistan today (Thursday), with the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecasting heavy rain in Karachi.
This third spell is expected to continue for a 24 hours. Hyderabad, Thatta and Badin are expected to receive rain while showers have already started in Tharparkar.
The Met department has forecast rain in Punjab from Friday and Saturday.
Last time it rained Karachi’s streets were flooded, with some neighbourhoods reporting chest high water. To solve the issue, Prime Minister Imran Khan asked the Pakistan Army to clear drains in the city.
The NDMA chairperson has been asked to clear the city’s drains. Karachi has 38 drains of varying sizes and they are usually so full of garbage that they overflow when it rains. That overflowing gutter water mixes with rainwater and floods streets and houses.
The city government often washes its hands of the responsibility of cleaning the drains, with Mayor Wasim Akhtar saying he doesn’t have the power or resources to clean the drains and ensure that neighbourhoods aren’t flooded.
The NDMA has been working with the FWO to clear the drains. So far, it has made headway on three major drains–the Gujjar Nullah, Mawach Goth Nullah and Korangi Nullah. So far, 40% of the Gujjar Nullah has been cleaned, 50% of the Mawach Goth Nullah and 45% of the Korangi Nullah.
Fourteen FWO teams have been working to remove garbage from the drains. The NDMA spokesperson said on Wednesday the teams removed over 6,000 tonnes of garbage.
The teams have identified 40 choking points and cleaned 25 so far.
Of Karachi’s 38 drains, 19 are the responsibility of the Sindh government now, said the spokesperson. He said the FWO, NDMA and related government departments are in close contact. Prime Minister Khan is also being given updates on the progress of the drain cleaning.
Mayor Akthar is hopeful that there won’t be flooding this time around. The KMC has declared a rain emergency at all 13 of its hospitals. During the last spell of rain, five people were killed. Most monsoon-related deaths are electrocutions.
People also incurred losses when their homes or cars were damaged during the last round of rain. Cars remained submerged in dirty water until the government was able to drain several streets of water, while others were swept away due to the force of the currents.
Markets, such as Karachi’s largest vegetable market, were also affected as the rain left muddy, swampy expanses of land in its wake.
With reporting by Saud Bin Murtaza
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