Devastation rains down in Karachi

Nullahs overflow, streets turn into rivers, murky water floods houses across Karachi

KARACHI:

The city was caught unprepared once again on Tuesday, as the monsoon downpour caused many to draw comparisons between its roads and Venice's canals.

The initial light showers in Karachi's suburbs in the wee hours were the writing on the wall of an ordeal in the offing, before torrential rain, thunder, gales and lightning took over, breaking the record for rainfall in August since 1931, when the Met Office began maintaining these records.

In a matter of just four hours of non-stop rain, various localities, including North Karachi, New Karachi, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Clifton, Defence Housing Authority, MA Jinnah Road, Saddar, Sharae Faisal, PECHS, Tariq Road, Bahadurabad, Federal B Area, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Arambagh, Regal Chowk, Zaibunnisa Street, Nagan Chowrangi, KDA Chowrangi, Nipa Chowrangi, Hassan Square, Korangi, Liaquatabad, University Road, Gulistan-e-Johar, Qayyumabad Chowrangi, Guru Mandir and those in the suburbs, among others, were submerged in water.

As a result, the usually fast-paced city came to halt. Its roads and streets turned into rivers and underpasses into canals, while houses in many neighbourhoods were flooded. As various stormwater drains overflowed, even the highways, along with nearby settlements, were inundated.

Sharae Faisal, the city's main artery, drowned in two to three feet of rainwater, and it wasn't long before sewage from overflowing gutters contaminated the rainwater on the thoroughfare, and elsewhere, including University Road and the road connecting Hassan Square with Safoora Chowrangi, presenting the perfect breeding ground for diseases.

Where vehicles were not seen floating on the streets, they were witnessed forming long queues for hours.

Due to flooding and infrastructural damages, thousands of motorcycles were reported to have been impaired and were carried by their owners, wading through waist-deep water.

Korangi Causeway was again closed for traffic keeping in view the possibility of flooding in Malir River, and traffic at Godam Chowrangi was diverted towards Jam Sadiq bridge.

Traffic Police rescue 3 bikers stuck on Korangi Causeway - they had clung on to a pole after their bike was swept away by a water torrent.#Karachi #KarachiRain pic.twitter.com/2gNiZgurKy

— Yusra Askari (@YusraSAskari) August 25, 2020

While the situation compelled citizens to stay in, for many, their houses were not a refuge safe enough.

In PECHS, a nullah overflowed, causing water to enter houses. Similarly, houses were also flooded in the congested streets of Gulbahar Colony, as well as in Liaquatabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Naya Nazimabad, Azizabad and Scheme 33.

Footage of the landslide near Gulistan-e-Johar as it happened. #Karachi #KarachiRain pic.twitter.com/DYeLyQYTmm

— Yusra Askari (@YusraSAskari) August 25, 2020

Those left behind in flooded Surjani Town fared worse, with water from Friday's rainfall yet to be drained. As a result, the remaining residents have been left deprived of basic facilities for the past four days, spending the nights on rooftops.

pic.twitter.com/aAY0jnJWSU

— Socially Distant (@Usama_CBM) August 25, 2020

Meanwhile, over 700 feeders and multiple transformers reportedly tripped during rain across the city, resulting in a wide-scale suspension of power supply. While in some areas, the supply was restored after a long wait of six hours, others remained deprived of electricity till late night.

However, according to a K-Electric spokesperson, the utility deliberately suspended the power supply to many areas to avoid mishaps. He further claimed on Tuesday night that supply had been restored to affected areas.

Video 20: #Malir Naddi's flood water entered in Yar Muhammad Goth & now going towards Malir Murghikhana area. Authorities are trying to stop the water flow | August 26, 2020 | #Karachi #KHIAlerts #KarachiRain #KarachiSinks pic.twitter.com/hUFCk5ia36

— SherY (@SherySyed2) August 25, 2020

Gujjar nullah

The residents of the city, equally disappointed and angered by what they termed the Sindh and local government's incompetence and poor performance, ascribed the flooding to authorities not cleaning drains on time, despite claims of doing so.

Among the drains that overflowed, once again, was Gujjar nullah, among the three major drains recently cleaned by the National Disaster Management Authority.

Besides, flowing along with murky water from the nullahs, garbage abounded nearby roads in FC Area, Liaquatabad and Nazimabad. Moreover, the overflowing water flooded Nazimabad and Liaquatabad underpasses and houses in the drain's vicinity.

Rain also caused Orangi Town nullah and Mianwali nullah to overflow.

https://twitter.com/YusraSAskari/status/1298244806498541568

Contingency measures

Keeping in view the possibility of the situation turning worse and urban flooding intensifying, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Dr Seemin Jamal has appealed to people to stay indoors and put hospitals on high alert.

"Travel is dangerous given the situation, so stay indoors and away from electricity poles," she said in an advisory issued on Tuesday.

OPD, Liaquat National Hospital. #Karachi #KarachiRain pic.twitter.com/AgNNrX0jsh

— Yusra Askari (@YusraSAskari) August 25, 2020

Breaking records

The deluge on Tuesday broke the city's previous record for rainfall in August, with over 345mm of rain recorded at Faisal Base this month. The previous record was 298.4mm at Faisal Base in August, 1984.

The day saw 125mm of rain at Faisal Base - the highest in the city on Tuesday - while the past two days had the city witness around 230mm of rain in total.

The current monsoon system is expected to cause heavy and moderate showers until Thursday.