Karachi Floods Highlight Fragile City Infrastructure, Officials Respond
Karachi: The heavy rainfall that hit Karachi on Monday not only wreaked havoc across the city but also affected several districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and Punjab, Sindh Minister Murtaza Wahab said during a press conference.
Addressing climate challenges, Wahab remarked, “Pakistan has two choices in the face of climate change: we either adapt or remain in criticism.”
According to the minister, Karachi experienced two spells of rain. The first ended around 12:30 pm, while the second began at 1:30 pm and continued for five hours until 6 pm. By 8 pm, rainfall had largely stopped across the city. Manghopir recorded the highest rainfall at 235 mm, followed by Gulshan-e-Hadeed with 202 mm, and Karachi Airport at 200 mm. Across the city, total rainfall ranged between 175–235 mm within 12 hours.
Wahab explained that the city’s storm drainage system can handle only up to 40 mm of rain, meaning anything above that results in overflow. The heaviest flooding occurred along three points on Shahrah-e-Faisal. During his briefing, fresh showers began again, prompting Chief Minister Sindh to personally visit affected areas, including Shahrah-e-Faisal and Nursery, where storm drains are located. By late evening, water had been cleared from Shahrah-e-Faisal, Nursery, Tipu Sultan, Shahrah-e-Pakistan, Shahrah-e-Sher Shah Suri, and the Punjab Colony underpass.
The minister urged residents to avoid leaving their homes unnecessarily during heavy rain for safety reasons.
However, the aftermath of Monday’s downpour continues to disrupt daily life. In Liaquatabad, a newly constructed road collapsed, and large potholes appeared between Liaquatabad Post Office and Sindhi Hotel, with repair work still pending. In Nazimabad, water remains trapped in the main underpass, and the underpass near Sir Syed College remains unusable.
Meanwhile, Nipa Chowrangi turned into a pond-like area, severely hindering traffic. Commuters traveling from Safora to Hasan Square reported extreme difficulties, with sanitation workers nearby showing little effort to clear the water.
The heavy rains have once again exposed Karachi’s vulnerable infrastructure and raised questions over the city’s preparedness and the timely response by authorities.
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