Flood-displaced families take shelter on sidewalks

Affectees, mostly Hindus, say they have lost everything and have nowhere to go

KARACHI:

The footpaths of Teen Hatti and Garibabad bridges have turned into makeshift shelters for hundreds of flood-hit families after the recent overflowing of the Lyari River washed away their homes.

According to residents, more than 300 shacks and all belongings inside were swept away by the surging waters. Women, children, and elderly members of the affected families are now living under the open sky on the footpaths, without access to food, clean drinking water, or toilets.

Most of the displaced belong to poor Hindu households, though residents stress that families belonging to all religions live together peacefully in the informal settlements along the Lyari River. Many of them earn their livelihood by selling flowers, trading second-hand clothes, or collecting junk. Now, with their homes and even motorcycles lost to the flood, many have been reduced to begging. "This was like doomsday," recalled Kranti, who fled with her children as the water rose to the top of Garibabad bridge. "Within minutes, everything was washed away - our homes, our food, our belongings."

Another resident, Krishma, said they are now left "empty-handed on the footpath." "Life changed in a terrifying moment. Our huts, our clothes, even utensils were gone. Now our children sleep under the open sky."

Women have voiced particular concerns over the absence of toilets and privacy. "Girls and women are living on the sidewalks without facilities. It is a constant source of fear and hardship," said another resident. Several families also reported that dowry items of young girls were swept away, raising fresh anxieties about future marriages.

Despite the scale of destruction, locals say no government body or welfare organisation has come forward with assistance.

"We have been living under the Teen Hatti bridge for years, earning a livelihood by selling flower garlands," said Mohan Das, a local Hindu community leader. "But after the flood, everything has changed. We are called nomads, but we have nowhere else to go."

Social worker Sapna Devi said the small settlement school at Teen Hatti has also closed after being damaged by the flood.

"The children are roaming aimlessly, the shacks are gone, the toilets destroyed. We don't have the means to rebuild," she said, appealing to the chief minister for urgent help.

Residents, meanwhile, are trying to rebuild their shacks with their own limited resources. "Neither the government nor any public representatives have come to help," said Reshma, a mother of 11, who is now living under a tree near the riverbank. "We are surviving on whatever little we can manage, but how long can this go on?"

For the displaced families of Garibabad and Teen Hatti, the Lyari River flooding has not just destroyed homes - they have upended lives overnight.