Flooding triggers exodus from Surjani Town

Local, provincial govt nowhere to be seen; army launches relief efforts

KARACHI:

The torrential downpour starting on Friday in Surjani Town left its residents helpless in the face of flooding, darkness, hunger, and eventually, homelessness.

Their ordeal extended to Saturday, until the Pakistan Army came to help with de-watering pumps, boats and trucks to relocate people.

"Some of the houses have been completely submerged by rainwater," said Khurram Adeel, an area resident. "[But] the army has reached the area and is rescuing people," he said with some hope.

This was corroborated by Karachi commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani, who said that the Pakistan Army, along with district administration teams, had initiated rescue work. Area residents, however, complained about the absence of the local district administration and provincial government.

Before help arrived

However, before help arrived, Surjani Town presented a dire picture, reflecting its residents' distress and suffering.

Houses were inundated by murky water, with the darkness of the night and power outages adding to the fear. Meanwhile, families, including children and the elderly, struggled to make their way through water standing up to several feet, carrying what little they were able to salvage and leaving behind their ruined belongings and abodes for safer havens.

According to area residents, the electricity supply to Yousuf Goth and Raheem Goth, two of the most affected areas besides Sector 4B, had been suspended since Friday night, when rainwater, contaminated with sewage, started to seep into their houses and underground water tanks.

"Most areas here have been flooded by knee-deep water," bewailed Adeel, adding that Yousuf Goth, in particular, was badly affected, besides other katchi abadis.

Another resident, Talha, identified Rozi Goth, Yaro Goth, Haji Bux Solangi Goth, Khuda Ki Basti and Kaneez Fatima Society, as other low-lying areas, apart from Yousuf Goth most affected by the rain and flooding.

Despite residents claiming that it had rained for just two hours, Khuda Bux complained, "[Even then] there was water everywhere." He also pointed out that low-lying areas were most affected, due to the lack of "a proper drainage system."

The hapless citizens also lamented their children going hungry for the past 20 hours.

Almost empty-handed and with no other option, many of them left their flooded homes in search of shelter elsewhere, while the rest spent the night in darkness.

"Several families have been displaced. I have never seen such a situation" said Talha, adding that residents from adjacent areas had been providing food and medicines to affected families.

The situation was not much different in Shadman Town.

There, the residents of several apartment buildings were confined to their homes as the locality was flooded with sewage water as a consequence of choked drains and a deteriorating drainage system.

The filthy water entered ground-floor apartments and submerged electricity metres, increasing the risk of electrocution.

As a result, many spent the night on the stairs outside their flats, after failing to relocate to the upper floors.

Besides, electricity was suspended here too and had not been restored until Saturday.

'Abandoned'

Finding themselves in a quagmire, the residents of Surjani Town lambasted the provincial government and the local district administration, claiming they didn't bother to make arrangements for draining the water even a day later.

"Their insensitivity compelled us to leave our houses," said one resident.

'Situation under control'

On the other hand, the city commissioner, speaking to The Express Tribune on Saturday, claimed the situation in Surjani Town was under control.

"Water was standing up to five feet [at some points], but it is receding now and the situation is under control," the commissioner said. "All relevant officials are present there and helping stranded people."

He added that residents had also been informed of alternative accommodation arrangements. "We will shift them to schools and other buildings if needed, but most of them are not willing to leave their homes."

Surjani Town received 186 millimetres of rain on Friday, with another 16.5mm on Saturday until the filing of this report.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM SAMEER MANDHRO