Heavy rain in lower Sindh stokes fears of urban flooding

Mirpurkhas worst-affected; govt closes educational institutions for up to three days

KARACHI:

Continuous downpour across the southern districts of Sindh created an urban flooding-like situation on Wednesday, while the government decided to close schools and colleges for two to three days in the Hyderabad, Sanghar, Jamshoro, and Badin districts.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned of more rain in the next three days, predicting up to 300 millimetres of downpour in the Sujawal and Thatta districts. According to the PMD, rain also pummelled other parts of the country, badly disrupting daily life.

In lower and central Sindh, cities including Sujawal, Badin, Kunri, Umerkot, Mithi, Hyderabad, Tando Jam, Hala, New Saeedabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, have reportedly been submerged under rainwater. In Mirpurkhas, religious elders called for offering special prayers as the uninterrupted rain continued.

Road connections with several villages in the Dadu, Mirpurkhas, Badin, and Sujawal districts were submerged by rainwater. People living near the Indus River, from Hyderabad to Thatta, began moving to embankments and safer places, complaining that the local administration has yet to initiate any rescue.

Small and major towns were also experiencing power outages and water supply disruptions. Out of 629 feeders in the Hyderabad region, over 80 feeders were affected, disrupting communication and business activities.

The worst affected city of Sindh in Wednesday's downpour was Mirpurkhas. "All the main roads and government offices in the city are under knee-deep water," said Hasham Shar, a Mirpurkhas-based activist and journalist.

"The only underpass that connects several areas is underwater, disrupting traffic flow since Wednesday morning," he added. "It is unprecedented rain," Shar claimed. "We are witnessing a disaster unfolding across this whole region," he warned.

Shar also mentioned that hundreds of villagers living in remote areas are desperately seeking safer places. Reportedly, rainwater also entered district headquarters hospitals, forcing patients and their attendants to seek shelter outside the hospital.

A similar report emerged from neighbouring Badin district. "The whole [Badin] city is under water," Muhammad Suleman, a local resident, told The Express Tribune. "It's been raining for the last three days. The rainwater has entered homes, and no one is helping the helpless people," he added.

Suleman said that phone and road connections with several villages near the coast had been cut off. Displacement had also been reported from Chohar Jamali, Shah Bandar, and parts of Sujawal, near the coast and the Indus river.

"No rescue operations have been seen anywhere yet," Akhtar Hussain, a local journalist from Sujawal, told The Express Tribune. "The situation near the coast is reportedly critical," added Zohair Ali, a resident of Thatta.

Ali noted that while Thatta and other major cities were not yet facing an alarming situation, the predicted rain could plunge them into chaos. "We will be in a mess if it rains as forecasted. I do not see any aggressive efforts by the government," he complained.

According to the PMD, Mithi received 83mm, Nangarparkar 31mm, Kaloi 23, Chhachhro 20, Islamkot 19, Diplo 18, Chhor 68, Badin 64, Mirpur Khas 61, Tando Jam 36, Thatta 29, Hyderabad 25, Shaheed Benazirabad 14, Jacobabad 5, Sakrand 3, Khairpur, Dadu, Mohenjo Daro 2, Larkana and Padidan 1mm.

In Karachi – Gulshan-e-Hadid received 75mm, Bin Qasim 44, Quaidabad 41, Kemari 31, Nazimabad 28, University Road 26, Korangi 23, Faisal Base and Jinnah Terminal 19, Saddar 18, DHA 17, Masroor Base 16, Gulshan Maymar and Orangi 15, Gadap 14, Surjani and North Karachi 8mm.

Heavy monsoon rains continued on Wednesday to pummel up and down the country, killing at least people in different areas, rescue 1122 and the provincial disaster management authorities (PDMAs) and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said.

The rain though broke the heat cycle which had gripped the country during the summer, but badly disrupted daily life. Multan received the highest downpour, which recorded more than 230 millimetres of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that 245 people, including 121 children and 48 women, lost their lives in the rain-related incidents since July 1. Among the deceased, it added, 92 died in Punjab; 74 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), 47 in Sindh and 22 in Balochistan.

In Punjab, according to the PMD data, the maximum rainfall was recorded in Kot Addu at 50mm, followed by Okara 49, Bahawalnagar 44, Sahiwal 40, Sargodha 30, Toba Tek Singh 24, Joharabad, and Khanewal 18, Mandi Bahauddin 17, Bahawalpur 16, and Lahore Airport 16.

It said that Multan received 38mm of rain but the local Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) put the rain guage at 58mm on Wednesday, followed by more than 100mm on Tuesday. Officials said that city and surrounding areas received 235 mm in two days, breaking the record set in 1952.

The torrential rains started on Tuesday in the city and surrounding areas and resumed on Wednesday morning. The rain continued intermittently after heavy showers abated at around 9am. A Wasa spokesperson said that the highest rainfall was recorded at Chongi No 9 Disposal Station.

The Punjab PDMA said in its daily update that Monsoon rains continued in various districts of Punjab, including Lahore, stoking fears of urban and flash flooding in big cities. It said at least one person died of lightning, which also killed dozens of animals.

The PMD also reported to rain in Murree, Sheikhupura, Jhang, Bhakkar, Kasur, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mangla, Islamabad, Hafizabad, Layyah, Faisalabad, Noorpur Thal, Khanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Gujrat, Gujranwala, and Rawalpindi.

In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the PMD said, rain drenched Dera Ismail Khan, Kakul, Balakot and Pattan, besides Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Garhiduptta and Kotli in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Astore, Gilgit, Bagrote, Bunji, Gupis and Chillas in Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to the PMD, the current spell of rain was likely to continue intermittently till August 31. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in its latest update that the rains and floods had killed 245 people since July 1.

It said that most of the fatalities occurred in Punjab where 92 people died in the last two months. There were 74 fatalities in K-P, 47 in Sindh, 22 in Balochistan, six in AJK and four in G-B. the deceased included 121 children and 48 women, the NDMA said.

Besides, the NDAM report said, 446 people – 158 men, 107 women and 181 children—were injured in the rain-related incidents, 1,002 houses were destroyed and 3,475 were damaged. The infrastructure damage included eight schools, 35 bridges, it added.

(WITH INPUT FROM OUT CORRESPONDENTS IN LAHORE, ISLAMABAD)