Villages flooded in Nawabshah

Locals say fixing breach in nullah on self-help basis

KARACHI:

A 50-foot wide breach occurred in the nullah near Dargah Faqir in Nawabshah flooding hundreds of acres of farmland.

Many villages in the area were submerged in the water. The staff of the Irrigation Department could not reach the spot to plug the breach despite information.

Residents of the nearby villages were reportedly busy plugging the breach on a self-help basis. In Khairpur Nathan Shah, more than 20 villages were submerged and dozens of mud houses collapsed following a flood-like situation in Salari area of Kachho after heavy rain.

According to the locals, no one of the authorities concerned came to save them from the flood which swept away everything, leaving them helpless.

It is to be noted here that heavy rain continues in the city of Khairpur Nathan Shah for the past 24 hours. The roads in the city present the look of a pond, and rainwater has entered people's houses. The Municipal Department staff has been 'missing' for two days.

Port city gets scattered showers

The tail-end of the weather system that dumped rain on the port city from Saturday to Monday finally left with scattered light to moderate showers on Tuesday.

Korangi recorded the highest rainfall in the city at 19.5 mm. Though, the weather forecast based on satellite images suggests rain with thunder and lightning today (Wednesday), people were sharing messages on social media about various prayers to help stop rainfall.

The maximum temperature in the city was 30.4 degrees, with clouds hovering above Azizabad, Gulshan Iqbal, MA Jinnah Road, Light House, Airport, Nishtar Road, Lasbela, Tin Hatti, Garden East and West, Soldier Bazar, Sadar, Urdu Bazar, North Nazimabad. , Al Noor Society, Federal B Area, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad. Moderate to light rain has been recorded in the city, while some areas have recorded sprinkles and drizzle

According to data of meteorological department, highest rainfall in the city from 8am to 5pm on Tuesday was recorded in Korangi with 19.5 mm, followed by Sadar 12mm, Nazimabad 8.2mm, Keamari 7mm, Gulshan. Maymar complex got 5.7mm, PAF Base Masroor 4.5mm, Gadap Town 3mm, Gulshan Hadid 2mm, University Road, North Karachi 1.6mm, Orangi Town 1.3mm while the lowest rainfall with 0.3mm was recorded at Old Airport.

The situation has worsened after heavy rain in Block 11 of Gulshan-e-Iqbal as the sewage system of the area has overflowed. Residents of the area are suffering a great deal of inconvenience as the rainwater and sewage together have inundated the area.

The pedestrians as well as the vehicles and the motorcyclists are the victims of the water accumulation in the area. The Yousuf Goth in Surjani town area of the city is also under water, as a result, citizens have been facing trouble in commuting.

Moreover, the situation in the Sindh High Court (SHC) and other courts has also worsened as the dirty water has accumulated in their compounds. The lawyers and the litigants are forced to pass through muddy water to reach the courts, for there are no cleaning arrangements on the premises of the courts.

Meanwhile, Karachi Commissioner Iqbal Memon visited Hub Canal along with Deputy Commissioner West Mir Ghulam Qadir Talpur to inspect a breach in Hub Canal.

Water Board Deputy Managing Director Ayub Sheikh briefed the officers about the breach in the canal and steps to plug it.

According to Monsoon Rain Alert of Pakistan Meteorological Department Early Warning Center, the low air pressure causing severe monsoon winds continues over central and western Sindh. The new monsoon system caused widespread heavy rains across Sindh.

This system is likely to be moved to coastal areas of Balochistan in the next phase. Heavy to moderate rain with thunderstorm is expected in Karachi today, while heavy rain is expected at a few places.

The system is likely to cause thundershowers at a few places in Tharparkar, Umarkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatt, Sajawal, Tandoallahyar, Hyderabad, Mitiari, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Dadu, Jamshoro, Shikarpur, Kambar Shahdadkot, Ghotki and Kashmore.

PMD has warned of heavy rains in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mitiari, Thatta, Sajawal, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Umarkot, Tharparkar, Sanghar, Nawab Shah, Tandwalhiar, Tandu Muhammad Khan, Dadu, Jamshoro, Qamber Shahdadkot, Larkana and Sukkur. As a result, there is fear of urban flooding in urban areas and water logging in low-lying areas. Heavy rains in Khuzdar, Lasbela, Hub and Kirthar range may cause pressure on Hub Dam. Flash floods are likely to occur in Dadu, Jamshoro and Nishibi areas due to pressure. All concerned authorities are requested to be alert and take necessary measures. According to the Meteorological Department, the maximum temperature in the city on Tuesday was 30.4 degrees and the air humidity was 78 per cent.

With additional input by PPI

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2022.