The disastrous rain-based floods of yesteryear have ignited fears within the citizens of the port city as it braces itself for another possible catastrophe with the onset of this year’s monsoon season.
The unexpected rainfall became the talk of the town as #Monsoon2021 and #KarachiRain started trending on Twitter. “Thank you #KarachiRain. I think we have had enough for the season already. Please take it easy now,” said one citizen.
While there have been power outages in the city already, K-Electric has issued a statement detailing that the power supply to the city is still “in tact”.
Currently supply from approximately 500 feeders remains affected whereas 1,400 feeders are operational. Supply to Dhabeji was restored on priority,” the company said in an update shared at 8:30am.
Moreover, the rain has affected the traffic in the port city, and citizens have been advised to drive carefully on the roads. Therein, a statement by the traffic police said that officials were monitoring the situation in order to keep citizens informed. The statement added that citizens could call the 1915 helpline for queries and concerns.
Federal Minister for Shipping and Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi took the opportunity to criticise the Sindh government.
“The federal government has done and is doing all it can to help the useless and corrupt provincial Sindh government, who for years failed to clean the storm drains and pick up trash. Hope we don’t drown in our own garbage once again,” he said.
The rain claimed the life of a young boy in Alfalah society. SHO Rashid Din said that Hammad was riding his bicycle when he encountered rainwater that had accumulated on the street. During this, he touched an electricity pole and was electrocuted, the official said.
Data from the meteorological department showed that during the last 24 hours, Gulshan-i-Hadeed received the highest amount of rainfall (17mm), followed by PAF Faisal Base (5.0mm), University Road Met Complex (4.3mm), North Karachi (4.2mm), Landhi (4.0mm), Sadi Town (3.6mm), Jinnah Terminal (3.2mm), MOS – Old Area Airport (3.0mm), Surjani (2.8mm), PAF Masroor Base (1.0mm) and Nazimabad (1.0mm).
Moreover, even more rain wind/thundershowers are forecast in most parts of the country during the current week, said MET office Islamabad on Monday.
It said monsoon likely to remain very active during the week a strong monsoon weather system giving rains in the country was likely to persist in different parts of the country.
Rain-wind-thundershower (with few heavy to very heavy falls) was expected in Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Sargodha, Mianwali, Khushab, Bhakkar and Layyah, Dir, Swat, Buner, Kohistan, Shangla, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, Peshawar, Waziristan, Kurrum, Bannu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Karak and Dera Ismail Khan, Gilgit-Baltistan (Ghizer, Astore, Diamer, Skardu, Gilgit, Hunza Nagar, Ghanche and Kharmang) from Monday to Thursday.
Rain/wind-thundershower (with isolated heavy falls) was expected in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan, Sibbi, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Qila Saifullah, Qila Abdallah, Kohlu, Loralai, Barkhan, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbella, Awaran, Kech, Panjgur, Mastung, Quetta, Ziarat, Zhob, Harnai, Sukkar, Jaccobabad, Larkana, Khairpur, Tharparker, Sanghar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad and Karachi from Monday to Friday.
The Met office also informed that heavy rain may generate flash flooding in Local/Barsati Nullahs of Sialkot, Narowal, hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, Balochistan, Shangla, Buner, Batgram, Upper Swat, Kohistan and Kashmir from Monday to Wednesday
Urban flooding is expected in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Peshawar and Faisalabad, Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin during the period.
Heavy rains may trigger landslides in the vulnerable areas of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Monday to Wednesday.
Possibility of damaging effects due to windstorms along the western border of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Water level rise in the major rivers and improvement in water reservoirs.
The rain claimed the life of a young boy in Alfalah society, Karachi. Station House Officer Rashid Din said that Hammad was riding his bicycle when he encountered rainwater that had accumulated on the street. During this, he touched an electricity pole and was electrocuted, the official said.
Similarly, at least two minor girls were killed while one got seriously injured when the roof of a house collapsed due to rain and wind storm in Lower Dir on Monday. Rescue teams reached the site immediately and removed bodies from the debris.
Towards the north, The KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority has developed a monsoon contingency plan 2021 to minimise disasters risks and ensure a timely coordinated response to monsoon related hazards.
According to the PDMA press release issued on Monday, the plan was prepared with consultation of all stakeholders including district administration, provincial and federal line departments and development partners.
As many as nine KP districts are considered as high-risk districts during the coming monsoon including Charrsada, DI Khan, Shangla, Dir Upper, Nowshera, Swat, Chitral upper and Chitral Lower.
The plan would help give a timely coordinated response and minimise monsoon related hazards, vulnerabilities, risks and resource mapping.
The plan outcomes reinforce prevention, mitigation and response to monsoon related disasters.
According to PDMA Director General Sharif Hussain, natural disasters caused massive losses to people’s lives, livelihoods and properties, which retarded economic growth. “Under this contingency plan, the authority make efforts to minimize the losses likely to be caused by the natural disasters,” he said.
The DG said PDMA, being cognizant of the importance of monsoon preparedness and contingency planning, has worked out contingency plan 2021 to minimize the impending disaster risk within the province through the formulation of a comprehensive plan and its effective and efficient implementation.
The process of monsoon contingency planning was started from the first week of March 2021 by involving all stakeholders.
Tools for data collection were developed and shared with all stakeholders including information regarding districts and sector-specific hazards and vulnerability profile, hazard impact, damages, compensation paid, resource mapping, need assessment and coordination.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has faced various natural calamities in the past decades including earthquakes, floods, locust attacks and the ensuing pandemic which has strained the thin resources and had put enormous pressure on the economy as well as the lives and livelihood of the people of this province.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, due to the impacts of climate change patterns and global warming, has witnessed a number of other events like the recurrence of recent years glacial lake outbursts floods in the northern regions, especially in Chitral which wreaked havoc to the built system of that areas.
Similarly, the thunderstorms and heavy rain-fall in Malakand and Hazara regions resulted in widespread damages and flooding downstream.
Due to the changing weather patterns, such types of events will increase in frequency in the future ahead-which warrants mitigative measures, preparedness and planning ahead of time and a multi-pronged approach and implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies.
The plan gives a detailed view of hazards profile of all the districts vulnerabilities and risks and its index, available and deployed resources, mapping of public and private sector machinery, mechanism of coordination at district, provincial and national level, the type of strategy to be adopted and the formation of a control room in case of any emergency situation.
The plan chalks out the preparedness level of all stakeholders and will serve as a guiding tool for all the stakeholders.
Keeping in view the current climate change patterns, including overall global warming, rising temperatures, severe weather events, Glacial Lakes Outburst Flooding and incidents of the last monsoon, the present plan outlines different scenarios of emergency situations ranging from small scale events to large scale devastation.
PDMA has already dispatched a sufficient quantity of relief items to all the districts of KP and has provided funds to be used for coping with any emergency situation.
PDMA Director (Disaster Risk Management) Zuhra Nigar said PDMA has installed flood Early Warning System in upper catchment areas on seven telemetry stations established at Swat River at Khawaza Khela, River Swat on Chakdara Bridge, at Panjkora River at Jabalot Bridge Unkor UC Bibyawar, Upper Dir, Munda Head Works, Abazai, Kalpani River, Mardan Ring Road Bridge, rivers/nallahs to monitor the water level and generate early warning intimation in order to protect the human lives.
The prime intent is to establish streams and rain gauges networks in the hilly areas linked with a computer-based model.
Early warning system analyzes existing data with previous flash flood historical data and upon reaching a dangerous level the system generates alert signals which will ultimately activate Provincial Emergency Operations Center.
PDMA-PEOC remains active 24/7 and fully functional with free of cost emergency helpline 1700. The helpline has been linked up with all line departments and districts administrations for quick response during any emergency situation and having easy access for the general public to guide and alert in real-time prior to any emergency.
With additional input from APP
