Imran Khan vows to address three major problems of rain-ravaged Karachi

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday reiterated his government’s resolve to address the problems of Karachi in the aftermath of a record-breaking monsoon spell that left more than 40 people killed and inundated larges areas of the city.

Millions of people were also without electricity for more than 24 hours due to the urban flooding. The power crisis also led to fuel shortage at many of the city’s petrol pumps were shut down.

Taking to Twitter, PM Khan said: “The whole nation feels the pain our people in Karachi are going through. However, out of this devastation & suffering there is now a positive development as my govt, along with the Sindh govt, is moving to immediately act & resolve 3 major problems of Karachi: Cleaning the nullahs once & for all & dealing with encroachments impeding water channels; devising a permanent solution to the solid waste disposal & sewerage problems; & resolving the critical issue of water supply to the citizens of Karachi.”

CBC and DHA are requested to ensure urgent dewatering and drainage so KE teams can restore power

Urban flooding remains biggest challenge to power restoration. Even after mobilizing additional resources including equipment, vehicles and field teams we are unable locations pic.twitter.com/rBeruUqrQi

— KE (@KElectricPk) August 28, 2020

At least 80 people were killed in Sindh including 47 in Karachi, 16 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and eight across Punjab in rain-related incidents, The News reported.

People found themselves with little means to contact family, friends and co-workers as a breakdown of mobile data and phone services caused by extended electricity outages added to their woes a day after heavy rains wreaked havoc in Karachi.

The massive communication and power crisis that had hit the metropolis on Thursday in the wake of rains continued on Friday after the infrastructure of various cellular companies remained submerged in rainwater and their towers couldn’t be supplied fuel. The power utility K-Electric could not restore power to most parts of the city despite the passage of 20 hours.

The Sindh Government has declared the two Sub-Division of District Malir of Karachi calamity-hit areas in the province after spell of heavy rains.The Hyderabad-based Relief Commissioner of Sindh government issued a notification to declare sub-divisions Murad Memon and Ibrahim Hyderi in District Malir of Karachi calamity-hit areas.

Addressing a press conference, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the average rainfall in Karachi on Thursday was over 150mm, breaking all the previous records. The unprecedented rains across the province inflicted heavy loss of lives and property in the province, including Karachi. Accompanied by provincial ministers Mukhesh Chawla, Saeed Ghani, Nasir Shah and Advisor Murtaza Wahab, the chief minister said the intensity of the rain could be assessed from the fact that on Friday night during visit to Karachi, his vehicles got stuck in the raging waters and finally he had to disembark.

He claimed the chairman PPP was worried about the relief work in the city and he kept calling him on his cell phone after every hour to get him updated. Shah said “the five spells of unprecedented rain from July 6 to August 28 have claimed 80 valuable lives,” and added that included 47 in Karachi alone.

Replying to a question about the power of the mayor, CM Shah said, “Some people abused power under the SLGO-2002 and commercialized all the residential areas of the city, allotted land along the embankments and in the bed of the stormwater drains. They made illegal recruitments and inducted so many people that the KMC, Water Board and DMCs have yet to recover from the financial pressure of their salaries bill. They want those powers again to wreak havoc with the organizations once again.”