Same old story

Rain in Karachi is rare, and dangerous. It is a classic example of how a blessing can turn into a curse. Yet again, on Friday, not too heavy an amount of rain — just about 60mm — proved too much for the country’s biggest and most modern city. An hour or so of downpour, and it was all topsy-turvy — like some 10 days back and on the 30th of July last year when Karachi had received just 45mm and 70mm rain respectively. For comparison, the monsoon fury of July 26, 2005 that had brought Mumbai to a standstill had unleashed 944 mm rainwater in about 24 hours.

It was, therefore, not much of a surprise that even upscale localities of Karachi were submerged, with rainwater making way into the houses and reaching as far as living rooms and bedrooms, damaging everything inside. Much of the city, as ever, went without electricity with the first drop of rain, and the supply was not restored even after 12 to 15 hours in several areas. The rain accompanied with strong winds struck the weak and vulnerable power infrastructure, with severed live wires claiming two precious lives. Traffic came to a standstill on main roads and thoroughfares, and motorists remained trapped till late into the night, in some cases. Some of the images playing on TV were, indeed, heart wrenching. One of them showed a young boy and girl, perhaps siblings, struggling to escape an invisible crater layered with accumulating rainwater, but succeeding, fortunately.

The rain and the havoc it plays with the lives of Karachiites every time it comes is a constant reminder of the sheer neglect of a city that serves as the country’s economic engine, and makes a major contribution towards filling up the national kitty. While both federal and provincial authorities need to pay special attention towards improving the civic infrastructure of Karachi, one small step must be taken up as an emergency: the cleaning of the stormwater drains. Chockfull of waste, these drains fail to absorb the cloudburst and are, therefore, the main culprits. The citizens of Karachi, meanwhile, wait for the day the rain will truly be a blessing for them.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2020.

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