Citizens accused the authorities of hiding behind the excuse of “unprecedented weather” and expressed outrage at the lack of measures to cope with monsoon rains in Karachi.
The downpour, described as “unprecedented” by provincial and local government officials, was not something new for residents who face similar chaos almost every year.
They argued that climate change may be intensifying the rains, but poor drainage and absent urban planning are what turn them into a disaster.
Videos and photos of the flooded social media showed urban flooding, in the same localities, including sections of arterial Sharea Faisal, MA Jinnah Road, II Chundrigar Road, and several underpasses, which are always inundated every year’s monsoon spell.
Streets turned into rivers, power outages stretched for hours, and flight operations at Jinnah International Airport were disrupted as the city struggled to cope.
The continued rains, which started on early Tuesday morning, claimed at least 17 lives so far in separate incidents of drowning, electrocution, building and roof collapse, with officials warning of more rainfall expected tomorrow.
“What arrangements?”, author Fatima Bhutto wrote on X while criticising the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party: “This corrupt party can’t manage rain even as it has rained every monsoon season since the dawn of time. What do you do for the people with your power? NOTHING”
“Our Karachi is drowning,” said politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, “[…] heavy rainfall and a lack of initiative to fix the city’s infrastructure. Contractors work and pocket money while the very geography of the city is built on river deltas and flood plains, places naturally designed to collect and most importantly drain water.”
“My Karachi deserves better than this,” Geo News correspondent Waqas Angaria expressed grief over the situation. He added: “I want to scream and yell at the whole administration. My heart breaks everytime I see this city crumbling bit by bit, day by day.”
Other netizens also expressed grief and frustration over the Karachiites’ misery.
