KARACHI: While the first monsoon shower broke the heat spell and turned the city’s weather pleasant on Wednesday evening, at least three people died from electrocution and many areas suffered power outages amid declaration of rain emergency across Sindh by the provincial government.

Also, many neighbourhoods are likely to face a water shortfall over the next couple of days due to a power breakdown at the Dhabeji pumping station that caused breaches in the main supply line, according to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board. The K-Electric, however, claimed that power supply remained consistent at the pumping station.

The Met Office has forecast rain for Thursday as well.

More rain forecast for today

Three people, including two teenagers, lost their lives in rain-related incidents in the metropolis, according to police and hospital officials.

Gul Nawaz, 16, was passing through a street in Docks Colony when died from electrocution in the Keamari area, said Jackson SHO Shaoor Khan.

The officer said the area police had to sever some snapped electric wires in an attempt to prevent further loss of innocent lives.

In Lyari, 18-year-old Babar Ali Dino was at the Moula Madad bus stop when he suffered an electric shock and died on the spot, said a volunteer of Chhipa rescue service. The body was later shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi, he added.

In Orangi, 27-year-old Daniyal died from electrocution, said a spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation.

Power outages

Meanwhile, many areas lost power as soon as it started raining on Wednesday. Several consumers also reported hearing blasts from their pole-mounted transformers. K-Electric said their emergency teams were working to resume power.

From Defence Housing Authority to Gulshan-i-Iqbal and beyond, everyone complained that they lost power as soon as rain started. “It seems like KE has turned off electricity supply deliberately because maybe their system cannot handle the rain,” said a resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal Block 5.

“I complained to KE after the power failure and was informed that their feeder has tripped. Why can’t KE feeders withstand moisture?” asked a resident of PECHS.

“KE gave me ‘technical fault’ as an excuse and power ‘supply affected’ to my sister when she called them to complain again. They are just using general terms to hide their own incompetence,” said a resident complaining from North Nazimabad Block I.

Water shortfall

In an official statement, the KWSB said there was a power breakdown at their Dhabeji pumping station at 5.50pm on Wednesday due to which the city could expect a shortfall of 75 million gallons a day.

“Water supply to Karachi was stopped as a result of the power breakdown and then due to the building up of back pressure the 72-inch diameter pipeline that supplies water to the city developed leaks at two points.”

Power supply to Dhabeji, according to the KWSB, was resumed after 7pm.

However, a KE spokesperson said power supply to Dhabeji remained consistent. “KE has made sure that power supply is not interrupted at the airport and the Dhabeji water pumping station,” the spokesperson added.

The KE admitted that the rain caused 400 of the power utility’s 1,600 feeders to trip. The affected areas included Gadap, Malir, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Surjani Town.

The spokesperson said work on fixing the problem elsewhere where power was affected would pick up speed as soon as it stopped raining. The power utility, meanwhile, issued some rain-related precautions such as staying away from downed power lines, keeping children away from power sockets, not touching electrical appliances bare-footed and with wet hands and also not ringing any door bell with wet hands. The power utility further cautioned to not stand under trees, electric poles and transformers in rainy and windy weather.

Rainfall

According to a Met official, the maximum rainfall recorded across the city by 8pm was 26 millimetres in North Karachi, followed by 19.4mm on University Road, 17.7mm in Gulshan-i-Hadeed, 16.5mm in Nazimabad, 16mm in the Pehalwan Goth area, 12mm at PAF Base Masroor, 10mm at the airport and 4mm at PAF Base Faisal. Rain showers were also reported from the areas of Korangi, Landhi, Malir, Federal B Area, Gulshan-i-Maymar and North Nazimabad.

The maximum temperature recorded in the city on Wednesday was 39 degrees Celsius. Humidity — a measure of the amount of moisture in the air — was recorded at 61 per cent.

Earlier, the meteorological department reported that strong monsoon currents causing rains over the central parts of India were heading towards Pakistan and the monsoon incursion would increase from Wednesday.

Rain emergency

Declaring a state of rain emergency across Sindh, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed district administration and local bodies to be active in their respective areas, cancel leaves/holidays of their staff members and pump out water accumulated on roads and low-lying areas on an emergency basis.

The chief minister said that it was the first monsoon ever since the newly elected representatives had taken over local bodies. “This is your first test and I am sure you would prove it to be effective and efficient in solving public problems, particularly during the ongoing rainy season.”

He directed divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to extend their all-out support to the local bodies in discharging their work. “I would ask you to be with them shoulder to shoulder in keeping their areas neat and clean and also coordinate with power companies of your respective areas to keep smooth power supply,” he said.

He directed the city administration and local bodies of Karachi to be active in serving the people. “The DMCs must cleanse the small nullahs within their jurisdiction and activate their relevant staff in pumping out rainwater accumulated on the roads and in low-lying areas,” he said.

The chief minister urged KE to mobilise their workers to fix tripping of their feeders, if this happened anywhere, and keep smooth power supply in the city.

He urged citizens to lodge their complaints, if any, at the complaint cell working at CM House on landlines 021-9920756, 9920739 and 9920208-81 (ext 919).

Mr Shah also asked the Karachiites to enjoy the downpour but to take care of their near and dear ones.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2017