Relentless downpour kills 11 in Sindh

A view of damaged Jama Masjid due to heavy in Hyderabad

KARACHI: Eleven people were reported dead on Tuesday in rain-related incidents — mostly due to roof collapse — in Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan and Thatta districts. Torrential rains in southern Sindh have inundated several villages, towns and cities, disconnecting road links of hundreds of villages with major cities.

It started raining heavily Monday evening in Mithi, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan, Hyderabad, Thatta and other parts of the province, alternating between moderate and heavy showers for more or less 24 hours.

Breaches occurred in storm drains of Badin due to continuous inflow of rainwater in the Left Bank Outfall Drain and the Phuleli-Guni Outfall Drain, which is locally known as the Amir Shah Drain.

Relentless downpour can exacerbate the prevailing situation and, according to locals’ apprehensions, we could witness a repeat of the 2011 epic floods in the province.

Major markets, offices, schools and hospitals are submerged in Diplo, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Bago, Matli, Badin, Golarchi, Jati and Thatta.



Road links between different cities has been cut off and hundreds of people are believed to be stranded in various cities without any alternate route to their respective destination. And the day-long power cuts have made matters worse.

Emergency imposed

The maximum amount of rain was recorded in Badin and Mithi at 200mm. “Badin received 166mm rain on Tuesday alone,” said Badin Met Office in-charge Shafiq Arain. He said more than 200mm of rain was recorded in Badin this monsoon season.

Emergency has been imposed in southern Sindh. “There is water in low-lying areas, but the situation is under control,” said Badin Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Rafique Qureshi.

Scores of people from adjacent localities reached Tharparkar on Sunday for picnicking, but now they are stuck there due to heavy rains. The drought-hit district has received rain after three years and has already recorded the maximum rainfall of the season.

Met Office spokesman Abdul Rasheed said, “The southern and eastern parts of the province will receive more heavy rains until Friday evening.”

People fear that more rains and inflow from the upper parts of the country could create a number of problems in the low-lying areas, especially in Badin district.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Army troops protected the Shenk bund – an embankment on the Indus River declared sensitive by the irrigation authorities – in Ghotki and saved the district from a possible disaster.

Punjab report

Bodies of four minors and three other people were recovered on Tuesday from floodwater across Punjab.

Local Government Secretary Khalid Masood said a deluge of 500,000 cusecs is expected to reach Taunsa Barrage in the next 48 hours. He said all the villages in the area are being evacuated, adding that around 7,000 people had already been moved to higher grounds.

K-P situation

Twenty more houses were damaged by floods in upper Chitral’s Mastuj area, while five houses, a mosque and a Jamaat Khana were washed away in three villages of Garam Chashma.

The Frontier Works Organisation has reopened a road for traffic from Chitral to Reshun, which helped take tents, food and other essential goods to Reshun.

Meanwhile, a minor and a man were electrocuted in Tank, while a minor girl was killed after the roof of her house collapsed on top of her in Swat. Another man was killed in Swat’s Mingora area when he lost his footing and fell off a mountain he was climbing.


Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2015.