KARACHI: Chief Meteorologist, citing a new monsoon system on Friday (11th July), has predicted moderate rainfall from 17th till 21st July in the Metropolis as well as other cities of Sindh.
For poor, lower-middle-class and middle-class karachiites, living in the Metropolis’ godforsaken milieu, initially the rain brings relief from the sizzling sun. That misery perpetually makes the existence an agony, as due to Karachi Electric (KE) they suffer from long spells of load-sheddings.
Residents of many locales of the Metropolis, including Federal B Area, Gulistan-e-Johar, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Liaquatabad, North Karachi, North Nazimabad, PIB Colony and Surjani Town suffer from summer heat due to outage cased by tripping KE feeders.
But brief respite (the downpour brings), soon transforms into life-threatening godzilla. The inundated roads, overflowing gutters (that are permanently choked due to negligence of corrupt officials), faulty electric polls/wirings, caving-in roofs of crumbling abodes, falling trees and billboards, consume lives.
On 4th of July, a decades old 5-storey dilapidated batiment (harboring 40 people in its 12 apartments, situated on Fida Hussain Shaika Road in Lea Market area here), collapsed due to rains claiming lives of 27 people and gravely injuring 12 more.
The collapsed structure happened to be one of the 500 buildings in the Metropolis that had been declared dangerous by concerned authorities. But, having no other place to go, the poor inhabitants continue to reside there, risking their families’ lives.
It is pertinent to mention here that Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) claims it had repeatedly attempted to demolish the structure but due to resistance from the area staff had to leave.
Meanwhile, as a ritual those responsible for the debacle had been suspended after the collapse. Opposition prompted to score points, saying that illegal and sub-standard buildings were constructed under the aegis of SBCA.
They pointed out that due to its lucrative nature, favourites were appointed by Sindh Govt itself. According to Opposition, instead of getting dangerous structures evacuated and demolished, the concerned officers simply issue notices and go back to offices when their palms are greased.
Readers may recall that a dozen people lost lives in rain-related incidents in different areas of Pakistan on 26th June. A family, consisting of twenty members, having breakfast by the tranquil banks of Swat River, got swept away due to flash flood.
Newspakistan.tv
