Instead of removing stagnant rainwater in a systematic manner, they uncovered the manholes and stormwater drains assuming that the rainwater would itself make its way into the sewerage system. However, most of the choked drains and gutters started oozing sewage only to add to the already grim situation. At many places, vehicles skidded into the open drains, which appeared invisible due to the rainwater and sewage accumulated all around.
As the drainage network did not suck further input, most roads and localities remained submerged on the third consecutive day, Tuesday, even though the city received only one millimetre rain during the day.
Long queues of vehicles in different parts of the city were witnessed and there were reports that traffic jams had run into several hours in some cases. Although vehicles at many places were seen wading through submerged portions of thoroughfares, their cautious movement hampered a smooth flow and fast movement of the traffic.
The I. I. Chundirgar Road, one of the major arteries in the city’s business district, also could not be cleared of stagnant water despite a long pause in rainfall. Parts of the road remained submerged and contributed greatly to the severe traffic jams on its other sections as well as adjoining roads and streets.
The sanitary staff found nothing but uprooted timber to warn passersby and passing vehicles against the danger of plunge ahead. Right beside every ditch, pothole and manhole not visible to human eye, they had placed large pieces of trees as ‘barricade’.
“It hasn’t been raining since many hours now but the roads are still flooded. This speaks volumes of the efficiency of the city administrators,” a motorcyclist stuck on the main artery said.
The situation was no different on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road either. A major part of the road near the Shaheen Complex remained inundated, affecting a smooth flow of traffic on the one hand and adding to the miseries of the pedestrians, on the other.
Traffic between the Jail Chowrangi and Islamia College was moving a snail’s pace as nearly half-a-kilometre-long patch of road was under about one foot-deep water. The section of road between Taj Complex and Empress Market in Saddar, particularly the portion in front of the Rainbow Centre, also looked like a lake.
Rickshaw and taxi drivers were seen demanding exorbitant fares from the stranded passengers, particularly women.
A passerby on the road was seen cursing a government vehicle that had splattered his clothes with filthy rainwater near the Shaheen Complex. Hurling expletives at the occupant of the official vehicle, the man said “how can I attend to my office with these spoiled clothes?”
In many parts of the city, including Defence and Clifton, the rainwater caused great hardship to people, who complained that the filthy water had entered their underground water tanks. “There has been no power supply in our locality since the first drop of the rain, and now we are without potable water too,” a Defence resident lamented.
Similar complaints were received from residents of Kharadar, Khadda Market and parts of Malir and Landhi.
The KWSB, acting upon the directives of City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, had kicked off its drain-cleaning drive a few weeks back to prepare for the monsoon rains. About 42 large stormwater drains were supposed to be cleaned using heavy machinery.
Drains in Lyari, Saddar, Jamshed, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, New Karachi, North Nazimabad, Malir, Landhi, Korangi, Gujjar Nullah, Manzoor Colony, Kalri and Urdu Bazaar remained choked contrary to the claim by the authorities that the same had been cleaned.
Sources said the city’s sewerage system, which has already completed its life span in most localities, was being badly damaged owing to the draining out of stagnant rainwater from roads and streets into sewerage lines, instead of flushing it into stormwater drains.
Sources said recent downpour devastated the infrastructure of the city mainly because of the clogged stormwater drains.
An official said the recently launched cleanliness campaign failed to achieve the desired results due to the shortage of financial and human resources. “The work was, therefore, limited to just clearing the choked pipelines,” he maintained.
The rains also damaged several recently carpeted roads in different areas, including North Nazimabad, Gulberg, Nagin Chowrangi, Sakhi Hasan, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Federal B Area.
Meanwhile, the Met office has said that another weather system is expected to reach the region in the next 36 hours. “More rains are expected with the system’s arrival in the region,” it predicted.
The Met office recorded minimum temperature in the city on Tuesday at 25.5 degree Celsius and maximum at 29 degrees Celsius. It forecast temperatures on Wednesday to range between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius.
At least six flights scheduled by PIA, Aero Asia and Shaheen Air International, were delayed due to the bad weather conditions.
