KARACHI, Aug 20: Rain-affected residents of the city have criticised the civic agencies for the miseries that were compounding as the agencies were trading allegations over the collapse of civic infrastructure and their failure to meet the emergency.

Residents of Nadeem Arcade on Sunday complained that because of faulty planning by the government, occupants of 163 apartments were stranded in knee-deep water in and around the apartment block.

Occupants of other houses and flats in the locality complained that the blocked drains had caused flooding and many people lost their lifetime savings in the deluge.

Residents of Bath Island have formed their own association, which has called upon the civic administration to declare an emergency due to the situation where flooding and clogged drains had caused widespread devastation in their area. They pointed out that sewage-mixed rainwater up to three feet high refused to recede days after the rainfall in the area, worst-hit being Street No. 2 and 15.

The association has approached Sindh governor and chief minister, as well as city nazim, and heads of all utility agencies in this regard.

Anjuman Naujawanan-i-Islam has also slammed the authorities for their failure in meeting the rain emergency promptly and effectively.

President of the Pakistan People’s Party, Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, during his visit to various flooded areas of the city on Sunday, said that widespread destruction, collapse of civic infrastructure and failure of the rain emergency plan had exposed the government’s hollow claims of efficiency and improvement in living conditions.

He said that except for making misleading statements, the city government was doing nothing as people continued to face great difficulties because of the knee-deep rainwater, mixed with stinking sewers, around their houses in many localities.

Mr Shah, who visited Mauripur, Muwachh Goth, Frontier Colony, Rabbani Mohalla, Muslim Town, Noorani Mohalla , Banaras Colony, Metroville and Site area, was informed by the affected people that their localities were submerged in knee-deep water.

Water had entered their houses, destroying all their belongings. An old woman said that her daughter’s marriage was scheduled for Sunday but the dowry washed away when her house collapsed during the rain.

In many areas, dispensaries and places of worship were also inundated. A temple, Shankar Bhole Nath Mandir, was among them.

Because of the collapse of PAF Mauripur’s wall, rainwater had entered Masroor Colony, where hundreds of residents were marooned.

The sewerage pumping house at Grax Village was not operating and, as such, filth-mixed rainwater had entered houses.

Qaim Ali Shah lashed out at the civic government for not coming g to the aid of the people and forcing them to spend nights outside their houses. He feared that because of the apathy of the government, a large number of people could call victim to epidemics.

Mr Shah was accompanied by Waqar Mehdi, Rashid Rabbani, Saeed Ghani, Afaq Khan Shahid and other PPP leaders. He demanded immediate rehabilitation of the affected people.

Former city nazim Niamatullah Khan also visited various localities of the city on Sunday. Talking to the affected people, he criticised the city government for its failure to prevent a collapse of the civic system, and said that if people did not get rid of ‘extortionists’, the city would suffer more.

He demanded an inquiry into the utilisation of the funds allocated by the city government for meeting rain emergency.

He also called for an investigation into the absence of relief centres during the rain despite the fact that the city government and town administrations had been asked to set up the same much before the monsoon rains.

Mr Khan visited Nusrat Bhutto Colony, Kausar Niazi Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Nagan Chowrangi, Buffer Zone, Sohrab Goth, Water Pump, Gulberg and other areas.