Monsoon in waiting: Karachi's test for resilience
The 2020 monsoon season saw the city flooded with rainwater, leaving people stranded at work, or stuck at home or in traffic jams, with the streets and roads hardly visible. The financial artery of the metropolis looked like Venice, with water swooping in from all directions.
Samra, a banker by profession was stranded on the busy road termed as the 'Wall Street of Pakistan', I.I Chundrigarh road for hours, cars were ineffective as the water flooded the lower flowers and the water level continued to rise as the deluge continued, having left with no other option, she had to go on a truck praying all the time that she would reach home safely. 'It was a nightmare, I mean in this arid land, rain is always welcome, but the 2020 rains, they were another thing, it took four hours to get to my house but everywhere we looked, there was water.'
It is to be noted that on August 24, 2020, Karachi experienced 231 mm of rain in a single day, according to Pakistan Meteorological Department, which resulted in urban flooding.
Some things are preventable, but the wrath of nature can wipe everything clean: Hurricane Katrina of 2005 and Super Typhoon Haiyan of 2013 not only destroyed the infrastructure but also claimed thousands of lives.
The main reason for unprecedented rainfall is the effects of climate change.
Pakistan has been declared the fifth most vulnerable country to face the dire consequences of climate change. It is not surprising for people living in Pakistan to witness erratic weather patterns, the hailstorm in Islamabad in the month of May is a clear indication of how unpredictable the weather has become.
Karachi, which stands below sea level, is a coastal belt that bears the brunt of nature's fury. In 2022 the city received 62mm of rain in a single day, according to the Met Office — a 260 per cent increase in precipitation.
Initially an arid land, Karachi falls in the tropical climate zone, but usually has a drier weather compared to other tropical areas. However, when it rains here, it pours.
Climate Change: A Cause for Concern
A victim of climate change and population explosion, the city is being served by an old drainage system, which is mostly clogged due to garbage, with the outfalls facing the same problem, resulting in suffering for the residents.
When Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab was the city administrator in 2022, The New York Times had quoted him as saying that the city was not ready for such a heavy deluge as the sewerage system was very old.
Given the severity of the situation, the Sindh government has undertaken the task of restoring some semblance of normalcy in the city that was submerged by water.
Compared to the rest of the metropolis, DHA fared better, but it does not mean that there was no water in and around the low-lying areas.
Areas like Nishat Commercial, Badar Commercial and Phase II were flooded by rainwater. However, with the help of dewatering pumps, the DHA administration managed to drain the water.
Arshad has a shop in Nishat Commercial and he recalls how the water came rushing into the shop. 'It was quite bad, that rain and some of the goods were affected, luckily I had shifted the goods to a higher place, and then DHA Karachi came with dewatering pumps which was a great gesture.' Arshad says, 'rain is a blessing but in the case of Karachi, we can do well without the blessing. My residence is at Korangi and that entire area was submerged.'
This is what led to the Storm Water Drain Project, which began in September 2022. It focuses on building and expanding the drainage system extensively.
Most of the work has been completed, with dewatering pumps dealing with different cusecs of water on standby, fire brigades on high alert, and ambulances and relief camps on standby.
As of now, 74 km of new drains have been constructed. However, after 2024 rains, where some areas were still affected as they were in lower ground, additional drains (5.06km) are under construction, which are to be completed shortly.
CBC is also ensuring the functionality of old drains which is (43 km) for optimized/ integrated use of drain system by removing of illegal sewerage connection by CBC.
DHA seems to be prepared for monsoon. What little one could gather about their preparedness was witnessed during the unpredicted rain on March 1, showing that the low-lying areas were not affected as in 2022.
As dealing with monsoon remains a collective responsibility, the onus lies on the people as well, they should ensure that no garbage is thrown in the Storm Water Drain and no sewage is connected to it.
The task is immense, but only the monsoon rains can give a clearer picture of how well the entire city can deal with a possible deluge. One can only hope for the best for Karachi.
Beena Khan is a journalist based in Karachi
Beena Khan is a journalist based in Karachi
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