Karachi:
Traffic in Karachi began to move again on Wednesday after the authorities managed to drain much of the rainwater that had paralyzed the city a day before, when a torrential monsoon downpour mistreated the metropolis and paralyzed everyday life.
The rains, which until now had saved parts of the south of the country, hit Karachi on Tuesday with a devastating force. The roads became rivers, the drain lines collapsed, the energy supply was cut and the fragile infrastructure of the city was cut, almost transferred under pressure.
On Wednesday morning, authorities said that accumulated water had backed up largely. The Sindh government had declared a holiday the previous day, and on Wednesday it extended the closure of educational institutions until Thursday, since another spell of heavy rains swept the city.
At least 10 people were reported dead in Karachi, the city of more than 20 million residents, as a result of urban floods, collapses of the house and electrocutions, according to the National Authority for Disaster Management (NDMA).
The NDMA emergency operations center warned about “extremely strong rain” in Karachi and other important Sindh cities, urging caution as more monsoon systems advance. “Another spell (rain) is to start at the end of the month,” said the president of the NDMA, Inam Haider, Malik.
The Department of Meteorology of Pakistan (PMD) predicted generalized rain, wind and thundershowers, with heavy to very heavy downpours in the center and lower Sindh, as well as in southern Baluchistan, on Thursday.
A warning warned that torrential rains could trigger urban floods in low areas of Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Uumerkot, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tando Allayar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sanghar and Jamshoro.
The PMD also warned that heavy rains, wind storms and rays can damage vulnerable structures, including Kacha’s houses, advertising fences, energy posts, solar panels and vehicles, and could activate sudden floods in the southern districts of Baluchistan.
In Baluchistan, the department predicted partially cloudy skies with rain and Thundershowers in Gwadar, Lasbela, Ormara, Pasni, Kech, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Kalat, Quetta and Ziarat, with possibilities of large falls in some areas.
(With agencies inputs)
