Urban Flooding Takes a Heavy Toll on Life of Residents of Karachi

For more than a decade, the monsoon season has submerged different areas of Karachi. When it rains, roads get jammed due to floods, cars are destroyed, K-electric fails to do its job and people lose lives. However, Karachi has been a victim of such destruction for years, but last year something novel happened. Not only underprivileged areas of the metropolis but elite areas were also flooded. Filthy street water entered residents’ houses of several established housing societies, ground floor portions were flooded, furniture and electronics were destroyed, and numerous people were trapped in their houses for days due to accumulated rainwater on roads.                                                                                                                                   

Recently, during the monsoon spell, it was seen that the metropolis received only slight and moderate rain which was enough to crumple the traffic system causing hours-long traffic jams on almost all main roads. Mainly, the key roads were flooded with sewage water after many gutters along the main roads overflowed. Due to this urban flooding, many people lose their lives every year. The poor infrastructure of the city has been badly affected by the rain resulting in the loss of two lives. Due to the poor KE management, a minor girl also died when she accidentally touched an electric pole.

Tackling these issues needs a collective effort from the government and the private sector. It is important for the government to understand that well-planned urban settlements are important hubs of climate mitigation and climate risk management. Keeping in view the forecast of heavy rains, the government must ensure the availability of dewatering machines and staff during rainfall and improve coordination with emergency services and with various line departments. The roads and drainage systems of the metropolis should be improved for future flooding. The authorities should establish a helpline number to address the needs of affected people on a priority basis and to ensure the provision of water and necessary emergency medicines to the public during emergencies. The government should also issue necessary alerts to travelers to take precautions and avoid exposure to rainfall.