It is a matter of great concern that the Sindh government has failed miserably in solving the multiple crises that Karachi is embroiled in. Being the largest city of Pakistan, it remains the poorest in terms of administrative and management affairs.
The recent third spell of monsoon rain has battered Karachi with majority of the city being flooded with water. Regrettably, the people are forced to deal with it on their own as no concrete steps are taken by the relevant authorities to mend the deplorable condition of the city. Video clips have surfaced on social media which show that rainwater has accumulated on the streets, underpasses and even inside houses while some localities have been witnessing power outages which have exceeded eight hours. Furthermore, because of the threat of electrocution, K-Electric needs to wait till the water clears out before their staff can start fixing the issue. It is unfortunate that while it rained for 4 consecutive hours, the authorities were nowhere in sight. Our provincial ministers were busy in a cake cutting ceremony, claiming that the issue wasn’t that serious. Owing to their careless attitude, the people of Karachi continue to suffer.
At the moment, urban flooding seems to be a greater problem than the coronavirus. An emergency should be declared before every monsoon season so that a mass clean-up programme can be initiated to clear up the drainage system of the whole city. Unfortunately, the relevant authorities are unaware that their lax behaviour has led to nothing but destruction in the city.
Awais Gopang
Sukkur
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2020.
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