KARACHI, Feb 11: Driving rains lashed the city in the early hours of Friday, affecting ordinary life and causing the temperature to drop to 16 degrees Centigrade.

Almost all the low-lying areas of the city were flooded with rainwater and civic life remained disturbed throughout the day. Pedestrians and commuters were the worst sufferers, as they had no choice but to wade through the stagnant rainwater.

To inspect the cleanliness arrangements made by the town administrations in view of the rain forecast, City Nazim Niamatullah Khan visited various areas of North Nazimabad and Gulshan-i-Iqbal.

North Nazimabad Town Nazim Fasihuddin Siddiqui and Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town Nazim Abdul Wahab joined the city nazim when the later began his visit to the localities of their respective towns.

Niamatullah Khan instructed the town nazims to take immediate measures for undertaking insecticides spraying campaign soon after the rains. He nominated a member of the city council, Sajjad Dara, as coordinator of the campaign.

During his visit to Nishtar Road, Jehangir Road, Business Recorder Road, Rashid Minhas Road, Habib Ibrahim Rahimtoola Road (commonly known as Karsaz Road), Manghopir Road, Ibne Sina Road and Shahrah-i-Chishti, he mingled with general public at a number of places and sought their opinion about the city's developmental activities.

In some localities people complained about uncovered manholes which they said could prove death trap for pedestrians, particularly children. A visit to different parts of the city showed ankle-deep water at different portions of the main University Road, New M.A. Jinnah Road, Shahrah-i-Quaideen (especially in front of Khudadad Colony), Shahrah-i-Liaquat and Court Road.

When contacted, a spokesman for the meteorological department said that the rains, heaviest in the current month, affected mostly the eastern part of the city. "According to the data compiled by our observatories by 5pm, PAF Masroor Base received 18mm of rain; airport 13mm; PAF Faisal Base 12mm; Baldia Town 3.5mm; and North Karachi 1mm," he said.

The spokesman said that the maximum and minimum temperatures recorded on Friday were 22.4 and 16 degrees Centigrade respectively. Humidity rose to 87 per cent from 57 the previous day, he said, adding that the minimum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 17.5 degrees Centigrade.

He said that the met office had forecast partly cloudy weather with misty morning for Saturday with minimum temperature ranging between 15 and 17 degrees Centigrade.

Areas which received showers with some intervals included Sher Shah, Gulbai, Tower, Kharadar, old city, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Burns Road, Saddar, North Karachi, Sohrab Goth, Water Pump, Karimabad, Jehangir Road, Gurumandir, Numaish, Nazimabad, Clifton, University Road, Sharea Faisal, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir and M.A. Jinnah Road, adds PPI.

Attendance in schools and offices also remained thin and relatively a fewer buses and wagons were seen running on the city roads. Motorcyclists had to bear the brunt, who feared skidding off their two-wheelers on the slippery roads.

Meanwhile, Landhi Town set up a complaint centre in the control room. Residents have been advised to lodge their rain-related complaints on Phone No 5032493. In Gulshan-i-Iqbal too, the rain emergency centre was set up on Friday. Area residents have been asked to lodge their rain-related complaints on Phone No 9230355-59.