MQM-P warns of flash flooding in Hyd

With the monsoon season fast approaching, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has warned of flash flood in Hyderabad as a result of what it termed the provincial government's 'utter neglect' of the city.

At a press conference on Sunday. Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) mayor Syed Tayyab Hussain and MQM-P lawmakers contended that the city was not prepared for a torrential downpour.

"Hyderabad has become a hub of drainage woes," lamented the mayor, adding that the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) was responsible for keeping pumping machines and power generators at the drainage pumping stations operations as well as cleaning the nullahs and drains in the district.

While the HMC had cleaned the city's nullahs and drains for decades, the Sindh Local Government Department transferred this task to WASA in April, 2016. The agency, however, accepted responsibility only for the drainage pumping stations, leaving the nullahs with the corporation.

Earlier this month, though, deputy commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro prevailed upon WASA, asking the agency to clean the nullahs as well. The agency accepted the task, conditional on the provision of Rs130 million in emergency funds for the purpose. The HMC also demanded Rs40 million for desilting the small drains in City and Latifabad talukas.

"In several localities of Hyderabad, WASA's sewerage lines and nullahs are already overflowing and there are puddles on many roads too," the mayor claimed, warning that rainfall would further aggravate the situation if emergency measures were not taken to make the drainage system functional.

"The citizens knock on the doors of the local government to complain about drainage and solid waste problems, but the Sindh government has paralysed the local government by depriving it of funds and authority," he complained. "A mayor is considered the father of a city. But the Sindh government has even denied representation to the mayor in the governing body of the Hyderabad Development Authority."

Meanwhile, MPA Rashid Khilji said the provincial government was not interested in addressing the problems of Hyderabad and developing the city.

Moreover, emphasising the need to streamline WASA and improving its service delivery, MPA Nadeem Siddiqui pointed out that without empowering local government bodies, the problems of solid waste disposal and drainage could not be permanently addressed.

The MQM-P leaders asked the provincial government to announce a special development package for the city.

In 2019, the monsoon downpours inundated many areas in Qasimabad and Latifabad talukas, with the armed forces being called in to clear some of these flooded localities.