It took around 50 deaths, the destruction of residential areas and the collapse of the city’s already faltering water, sanitation and drainage system for the authorities to conclude that Karachi is in a dire need of development and maintenance. It is an undeniable fact that the unprecedented rains that fell during the month of August have ravaged nearly the whole city. Several areas including upscale neighborhoods are still paralysed and remain submerged in rainwater and sewage. Several are still facing electricity-related issues. With the administration of the developed cities collapsing, Karachi’s case remains an anomaly. There are no prizes for guessing that decades of neglect have compounded the tragedy for the metropolitan city.
Too much relief, the federal government has finally announced a Rs1.1 trillion transformation plan for Karachi, with great aspirations of reviving the city’s infrastructure by mending the drainage system, rehabilitating the displaced people due to ongoing anti-encroachment drive, proposing an effective solid waste disposal system, and addressing the deplorable state of the public transport system. However, it is not the first time a development plan has been announced or promises have been made. As the Centre and the Sindh province fight over control of the metropolis, any prospect of meaningful work to alleviate the woes of the people vanishes. This, coupled with toothless municipal bodies and shoddy implementation strategy, becomes apparent that this sprawling megapolis is without an effective functioning local government.
As the rains turn out to be an equaliser, affecting both the rich and the poor, one can still search for a silver lining. This is the perfect time for the Center and the Sindh province to work in harmony to rebuild the economic and social infrastructure of Karachi and provide the residents the long-awaited civic services they are craving for decades. However, only time will tell if the authorities are sincerely concerned about ameliorating the problems of Karachi.
Hadia Mukhtar
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2020.
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