Death toll rises to seven, power woes persist as city reels from monsoon showers

Seven people dead in rain-related incidents since Tuesday evening; traffic situation no less than a nightmare as major thoroughfares inundated; KE claims efforts being

made to restore electricity supply

Karachi

Seven lives have been lost in rain-related incidents since the first spell of monsoon rains commenced in Karachi on Tuesday evening, according to rescue authorities, while citizens confined to their homes continued to brave major power breakdowns all throughout Wednesday as those on the roads tried their best to navigate through murky pools of rainwater mixed with sewage.

Though predicted and 'prepared for' on paper, the start of this monsoon season has once again exposed the abject planning measures and lack of coordination among municipal agencies and other governmental departments responsible for what remain the very basic of civic amenities.

Given such shambolic planning and control measures, the steady stream of reports of unfortunate deaths and injuries hardly comes as a surprise. On Wednesday, Mohammad Shafiq died of electric shock at the Baba Fareed welding shop in the jurisdiction of the Sharifabad police. 

Rescue organisations also brought in the bodies of 22-year-old Abdul Mannan and 20-year-old Faizan who had been electrocuted near Siddiq Akbar mosque near Anda Morr.

Electrocution was also cited as the cause of death for an unidentified elderly man in Phool Wali Gali in Lyari, along with 40-year-old Abdul Rasheed who died in Azizabad.

Two unfortunate minors have also lost their lives in the past two days. Twelve-year-old Muhammad Mustakeem Ahmed was electrocuted while playing near his residence situated in North Karachi’s Sector 5 A-1, while a three-year-old Shama died when a portion of an under-construction wall dropped at her near her residence situated near Madina Masjid in Orangi Town No 4.

 

Traffic, business woes

Heavy downpour on both days caused several businesses to shut down, with the furniture markets in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and paper markets in Urdu Bazaar closed down after the deluge.

With several main thoroughfares and streets inundated in rain and sewage water, people also found it difficult to reach hospitals and maternity homes.

Traffic was blocked on the Mumtaz Hassan Road, Dr Ziauddin Road, Aiwan-e-Saddar Road, around the Metropole Hotel, Abdullah Haroon Road, Preedy Street, Star Gate, from Gurumandir to Teen Hatti, Gul Bai, ICI Bridge and many other locations.

The University Road was also flooded near Hassan Square and NIPA and traffic flow was badly hampered. The already dilapidated road between Safoora Chowrangi till Karachi University also turned into a nightmare for commuters in the night.

Commuters passing through Gul Bai, Patel Para and Lasbella also braved a tedious traffic jam and were stranded on the road for several hours. Residents of these areas also protested against the prolonged power outage on Wednesday.

 

Power outages

Electricity supply remained suspended in a number of areas with several without power for more than 24 hours.

According to the K-Electric, 140 feeders tripped in the city out of which 20 were restored immediately while 30 more were fixed by 6pm on Wednesday.

Officials claimed that repair teams were on standby but citizens told The News they experienced the opposite.

A resident of PECHS Block 6 said their locality had been without power since 2:30pm on Tuesday till the filing of this report on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, a resident of Defence View related that power was disconnected for about two hours on Tuesday night, following which an electricity cable snapped around 11pm. The KE teams did not attend calls till 10am on Wednesday and the area had been without electricity till the evening.

A press statement issued by the KE on Wednesday stated that work was under way in Orangi, Liaquatabad, FB Area, North Karachi and Shah Faisal Colony.

Its officials also admitted that power to several areas was disconnected as a precautionary measure since there was a chance of short circuits due to the infestation for illegal connections. They claimed this was done to avoid a major power breakdown in the city.  

Moreover, areas around Malir Cannt, including Prem Villas Phase I and II, Race Course Colony and Gulshan-e-Umer, have remained without power for more than 24 hours.

 

Met office predictions

According to officials of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, minimum temperature in the city was recorded to be 24.3 degrees Celsius with maximum being 35 degrees Celsius, with 98 percent humidity.

Maximum amount of rainfall (30 millimetres) was recorded at the PAF Faisal Base, 28 millimetres in Landhi, 20.4 millimetres around the airport, 15 millimetres in Saddar, 14.2 millimetres in Pehlwan Goth while six millimetres of rain were recorded in Gulshan-e-Hadeed and Nazimabad.

The officials predict another thunderstorm on Thursday but then the rain system would start weakening from Thursday afternoon.

 

High alert

Commissioner Karachi Ejaz Ahmed Khan on Wednesday issued a notification with directions to all municipal employees not to extend their Eid holidays and declaring a high alert in all civic departments.