Karachiites continue to suffer power cuts, road closures as more rain lashes city

Following Tuesday’s torrential rain that devastated the city, another rain spell lashed Karachi on Wednesday that caused widespread power outages and left several roads submerged.

Power supply remained suspended for over 24 hours in parts of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Malir, Mehmoodabad, Akhtar Colony, Manzoor Colony, Defence View and other localities.

The Sindh government had announced a holiday in Karachi on Wednesday in view of the devastating effects of Tuesday’s rain and further rain forecast.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) data of Wednesday’s rainfall, Orangi Town received 113 millimetres (mm) of rainfall, PAF Base Faisal 42mm, Jinnah Terminal 28.2mm, Keamari 30mm, and the Old Airport 20.5mm.

According to the Met Office, strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are continuously penetrating southern Pakistan. Under these conditions, widespread rain and thunderstorm is expected in several Sindh districts, including Karachi, till August 22. Rain has been forecast in Mithi, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sanghar and Jamshoro. Scattered showers are expected in Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur and Jacobabad.

The PMD has warned that torrential rains may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Sindh, including Karachi.

Power cuts

While many neighborhoods saw power restoration after prolonged outages, several areas, including Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13-D, Lyari, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and North Karachi, were still deprived of electricity since Tuesday morning at the time of filing this report.

K-Electric (KE) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Syed Moonis Abdullah Alvi said that power had been restored to more than 94 per cent of the city by 6pm, following the heaviest rainfall since 2020.

According to Alvi, restoration work was still underway at nearly 150 feeders. He noted that Karachi received between 130 mm and 170 mm of rain — the highest in five years.

“During the downpour, citizens faced difficulties, and our field staff also encountered severe mobility challenges due to waterlogging,” he said, adding that rainwater made it difficult for KE vehicles to access fault sites. Over 500 feeders tripped during the rains, but that number had been reduced to 200 by 11pm, he claimed.

Alvi also acknowledged the efforts of the city administration, noting that pumping operations cleared most areas of accumulated water soon after the rains, with Sharea Faisal cleared by night.

Submerged roads

The traffic police reported that several major roads and underpasses across the city were closed due to heavy rainwater accumulation. In District East, the Tariq Road underpass on Shaheed-e-Millat Road and Drigh Road underpass towards the airport were shut.

In District Central, closures included the Nazimabad No 1 underpass, Nazimabad No 2 underpass, Liaquatabad No 10 underpass and Gharibabad underpass.

In District Malir, the Sohrab Goth underpass was closed. In District Korangi, both sides of Korangi Crossing towards Qayyumabad were blocked, along with both tracks of the EBM Causeway Road joining Mehmoodabad and Korangi.

The traffic authorities advised the citizens to call the Traffic Helpline 1915 for information about alternative routes to avoid inconvenience.

Mayor’s press conference

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, speaking at a press conference at the Frere Hall on Wednesday, emphasised that global warming and climate change were undeniable realities affecting major cities worldwide.

“Examples of New York, Dubai, and Mumbai are before us. Recently, several districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir have also faced devastating impacts of climate change,” he said.

He stressed that society has two choices — accept the reality of climate change and adapt through practical measures, or waste time in criticism and political point-scoring.

Karachi Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentary Leader in City Council Karamullah Waqasi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader Dil Muhammad and other elected representatives accompanied the mayor during the press conference.

Wahab said the city experienced two heavy spells on Tuesday. The first began in the morning, after which the administration immediately reached affected areas and began drainage work. By 12:30 pm, he said, the situation on main roads had improved significantly but then the second spell started at 1:15 pm and continued until 6:30pm, followed by intermittent showers until late night.

He noted that Manghopir recorded 235 mm of rainfall, while citywide totals exceeded 170mm in just 12 hours. “This was an extraordinary downpour which naturally caused difficulties for citizens,” Wahab said.

He pointed out that Karachi’s storm water drains could only handle up to 40 mm of rain. “When rainfall exceeds this limit several times over, the impact is inevitable,” he explained.

Recalling the 2020 rains, Wahab said the Nursery area had been completely submerged and remained uncleared for 24 hours. “However, yesterday, when I visited the same drain, I observed that drainage was taking place continuously without obstruction,” he added.

The mayor appealed to the citizens to avoid unnecessary travel during heavy rains, warning that traffic congestion posed the greatest challenge to rescue operations. He assured that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation was fully active in the field and engaged in drainage efforts.

“Through the cooperation of citizens and the tireless work of our administration, we were able to largely bring the situation under control. God willing, we will continue serving the people of Karachi with the same spirit and dedication in the future as well,” Wahab concluded.

Commissioner’s statement

According to a press statement from the Commissioner’s Office, several underpasses and major roads were de-watered and reopened for the traffic on Wednesday. The Clifton and Submarine underpasses were cleared, while Shaheen Complex, II Chundrigar Road, Sharea Faisal, MA Jinnah Road, Shahrah-e-Suri, and Jam Sadiq Bridge towards Korangi were also reopened.

However, the Korangi Causeway and EBM Causeway remained closed, along with Drigh Road and Nazimabad underpasses.

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi urged the citizens to use alternative routes and said the Sindh government had provided 250 de-watering pumps for the city.

Separately, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) Managing Director Tariq Ali Nizamani inspected various points across Karachi in the late hours of Tuesday.

The SSWMB chief urged the citizens to avoid unnecessary travel, stressing that the PMD had forecast more heavy showers on Thursday. He appealed for public cooperation and advised residents to take all necessary precautions. For garbage-related complaints, citizens have been asked to call the helpline 1128.