Hyderabad remains submerged as load shedding slows drainage process
Military steps in to help local authorities drain out the sewage mixed flash flood
The citizens of Latifabad and Qasimabad took to streets on Tuesday to vent their anger over the authorities for their failure to drain flash flood and supply water and electricity. PHOTO: ONLINE
HYDERABAD:
The low lying localities across Hyderabad remained submerged for the third day on Wednesday after Monday's cloudburst. The military stepped in to help the local authorities drain out the sewage mixed flash flood. Water supply remained suspended in Hyderabad for the third consecutive day and while the electricity supply was largely restored, hundreds of local complaints about faults in transformers and transmission lines remained unaddressed.
The recurrent load shedding slowed the drainage process. Gas outages were also reported from several areas.
The citizens of Latifabad and Qasimabad took to streets on Tuesday to vent their anger over the authorities for their failure to drain flash flood and supply water and electricity. The residents of Latifabad unit 2 surrounded Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MPA Rashid Khilji and MQM-P Hyderabad In-charge Naveed Abbassi when they arrived in the locality for a press conference.
They turned over the tables set for the presser and later tried to take the MPA to the streets flooded with knee to waist-deep water. "Where is the mayor? Our children are drowning!" shouted the protesters. Latifabad unit 2 is among the few areas badly hit by the rain.
The army installed a heavy de-watering pump in that area and set up a relief camp. The army also engaged in draining the rainwater in other parts of Latifabad and Qasimabad besides helping in movement of the marooned people. The Station Commander Brig Gul Hassan also visited the submerged areas.
Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, who visited Hyderabad for the second time after the rain on Wednesday, again blamed Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) for delayed drainage. "The power generators were also working at Water and Sewerage Authority's (WASA) pumping stations but it was beyond their capacity to power the stations for so long".
Ghani said that during his visit to Hyderabad past Monday midnight, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was assured by the federal authorities and the HESCO chief Abdul Haq Memon about speedy restoration and continuous supply of electricity. "But despite the assurance, power isn't being supplied uninterrupted".
He claimed that up to eight pumping stations are still without electricity. LG minister requested the federal government to show mercy on the people of Hyderabad and improve the performance of HESCO. He said that HESCO should be barred from load shedding until the rainwater is completely drained out from the city.
Power outages not only affected drainage but also ground to a halt the water supply. The acting managing director of WASA, Saleemuddin Arain, while talking to The Express Tribune, acknowledged that the water supply from WASA's filtration plants has remained suspended for three days since the rain began.
The other side
"We restored the water supply today [Wednesday], afternoon. The water will reach in all parts of city Qasimabad and Latifabad by late night because the water lines had dried up during the three days." He complained that WASA's several water and drainage pumping stations are still without power and this was complicating the agency's services.
HESCO's spokesperson Sadiq Kubar claimed that the electric supply was restored to all the 16 feeders powering WASA's installations by Tuesday. "They can't blame HESCO for the faults in their machines at the pumping stations".
MQM-P's former chief Farooq Sattar said while talking to the media that Hyderabad has been paralysed because of the failure of the provincial and federal governments. "Prolonged power outages and consequent water shortage have become a norm and many areas are suffering from gas load shedding as well".
Meanwhile, the Hyderabad commissioner removed Assistant Commissioner Qasimabad Fida Shoro on Tuesday for his failure to perform during the rain emergency. The city assistant commissioner Faraz Siddiqui has been given the additional charge of Qasimabad. Dozens of housing schemes along the three-kilometre stretch of Wadu Wah Road, Qasimabad phases I and II, London Town, Bhitai Nagar, Citizen Colony and Muslim Society in Qasimabad have been underwater since the rainfall began.
In a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Hyderabad Chamber of Small Trade and Industry charged HESCO with corruption and inefficiency. "The organisation's bureaucracy is venal and unwilling to work in the public interest ... they are dissociated with the plight of the people," wrote the chamber's president, Farooq Shaikhani. He pointed out that the company never timely planned setting up new grid stations, power feeders and PMTs and underlined the need of radical reform in HESCO.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2019.
The low lying localities across Hyderabad remained submerged for the third day on Wednesday after Monday's cloudburst. The military stepped in to help the local authorities drain out the sewage mixed flash flood. Water supply remained suspended in Hyderabad for the third consecutive day and while the electricity supply was largely restored, hundreds of local complaints about faults in transformers and transmission lines remained unaddressed.
The recurrent load shedding slowed the drainage process. Gas outages were also reported from several areas.
The citizens of Latifabad and Qasimabad took to streets on Tuesday to vent their anger over the authorities for their failure to drain flash flood and supply water and electricity. The residents of Latifabad unit 2 surrounded Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MPA Rashid Khilji and MQM-P Hyderabad In-charge Naveed Abbassi when they arrived in the locality for a press conference.
They turned over the tables set for the presser and later tried to take the MPA to the streets flooded with knee to waist-deep water. "Where is the mayor? Our children are drowning!" shouted the protesters. Latifabad unit 2 is among the few areas badly hit by the rain.
The army installed a heavy de-watering pump in that area and set up a relief camp. The army also engaged in draining the rainwater in other parts of Latifabad and Qasimabad besides helping in movement of the marooned people. The Station Commander Brig Gul Hassan also visited the submerged areas.
Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, who visited Hyderabad for the second time after the rain on Wednesday, again blamed Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) for delayed drainage. "The power generators were also working at Water and Sewerage Authority's (WASA) pumping stations but it was beyond their capacity to power the stations for so long".
Ghani said that during his visit to Hyderabad past Monday midnight, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was assured by the federal authorities and the HESCO chief Abdul Haq Memon about speedy restoration and continuous supply of electricity. "But despite the assurance, power isn't being supplied uninterrupted".
He claimed that up to eight pumping stations are still without electricity. LG minister requested the federal government to show mercy on the people of Hyderabad and improve the performance of HESCO. He said that HESCO should be barred from load shedding until the rainwater is completely drained out from the city.
Power outages not only affected drainage but also ground to a halt the water supply. The acting managing director of WASA, Saleemuddin Arain, while talking to The Express Tribune, acknowledged that the water supply from WASA's filtration plants has remained suspended for three days since the rain began.
The other side
"We restored the water supply today [Wednesday], afternoon. The water will reach in all parts of city Qasimabad and Latifabad by late night because the water lines had dried up during the three days." He complained that WASA's several water and drainage pumping stations are still without power and this was complicating the agency's services.
HESCO's spokesperson Sadiq Kubar claimed that the electric supply was restored to all the 16 feeders powering WASA's installations by Tuesday. "They can't blame HESCO for the faults in their machines at the pumping stations".
MQM-P's former chief Farooq Sattar said while talking to the media that Hyderabad has been paralysed because of the failure of the provincial and federal governments. "Prolonged power outages and consequent water shortage have become a norm and many areas are suffering from gas load shedding as well".
Meanwhile, the Hyderabad commissioner removed Assistant Commissioner Qasimabad Fida Shoro on Tuesday for his failure to perform during the rain emergency. The city assistant commissioner Faraz Siddiqui has been given the additional charge of Qasimabad. Dozens of housing schemes along the three-kilometre stretch of Wadu Wah Road, Qasimabad phases I and II, London Town, Bhitai Nagar, Citizen Colony and Muslim Society in Qasimabad have been underwater since the rainfall began.
In a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Hyderabad Chamber of Small Trade and Industry charged HESCO with corruption and inefficiency. "The organisation's bureaucracy is venal and unwilling to work in the public interest ... they are dissociated with the plight of the people," wrote the chamber's president, Farooq Shaikhani. He pointed out that the company never timely planned setting up new grid stations, power feeders and PMTs and underlined the need of radical reform in HESCO.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2019.