Roads submerged on third day of monsoons

KARACHI: People thought Karachi survived the monsoons that started on Monday, but Wednesday’s downpour proved otherwise. At least 11 people were killed in different incidents over the last two days as over 69 millimetres of rain lashed the city.

The Meteorological office has forecast rain and thundershowers with moderate rainfall for the city on Thursday. The maximum temperature is expected to be 30 to 32 degrees centigrade, reported PPI. Rain and thundershowers are also expected at a few places in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana.

A total of nine people died on Tuesday, and two people were reported dead on Wednesday. A 35-year-old man, Shahid, was electrocuted near Multani Godown in Baldia Town. Separately, another 35-year-old man was also electrocuted while working in his house near Nipa Chowrangi.

Landhi, Sharae Faisal, Old City and the airport received the most rain while much of the city was inundated. DHA’s Khayaban-e-Shahbaz was flooded and people were forced to take detours. Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Deen Wafai Road, Tower, Lyari and Kemari were completely submerged.

Power pumps failed to keep water away from residential areas and sewerage water also entered homes. Accumulated rainwater was also seen near bridges and flyovers and city government staff and machinery toiled hard to pump it out.

On-call cab services were in demand as people would not or could not take their cars out. The cabs cashed in on their surge in demand by charging Rs100 extra for every pick or drop.

There were massive traffic jams on the city’s main arteries.

The rainwater that accumulated outside various government-run hospitals after the rainfall could not be pumped out by Wednesday evening. Patients, attendants and staff had to face many problems as the rainwater accumulated at the central gates and parking lots of different hospitals.

Meanwhile, cultural activities in the city have also been suspended due to the rain. Events and plays scheduled at the Arts Council have been also postponed.

Recordings of several television programmes, including Independence Day shows for August 14, were affected.

Health experts warn that the monsoon spell will cause the spread of waterborne diseases, as chances of sewage mixing with drinking water increase. They strongly advise people to use only boiled water.

Dr Qaisar Sajjad, an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon and former Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Karachi general secretary, said children should avoid playing in accumulated water. In case of suffering form waterborne diseases, patients must report to the hospital and drink as much water mixed with Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) as possible, doctors advise.

There were heavy showers in various parts of Sindh, including Hyderabad where people went to the banks of the River Indus to make the most of the weather. However, the heavy rain affected the electricity and the communication systems. The electric supply remained suspended for several hours in Hyderabad, Latifabad and Qasimabad districts.

Sukkur and its adjacent areas received their first share of monsoon showers on Wednesday.

Heavy rainfall was reported in Kashmore and Kandhkot, where almost all the main roads and streets were submerged in rainwater, the power supply was disrupted and the drainage system collapsed.

In Sukkur city, many people on motorcycles fell off their bikes and were injured. But, to people’s, surprise, there were no power cuts.

The highest maximum temperature of 44.8 degrees centigrade was recorded at Dalbandin and the lowest minimum temperature of 19 degrees centigrade was recorded at Kalat hill station, Balochistan on Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2010.