A deluge of torrential monsoon rains has inflicted severe urban flooding across Pakistan’s financial capital, Karachi—record rainfall reaching up to 178 mm has utterly overwhelmed drains designed to cope with just 40 mm, nearly four times beyond capacity.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department reported that the airport area received 163.5 millimeters of rainfall, marking the highest level since 1979, while northeast Karachi experienced a new record with 178 millimeters. In Manghopir, an exceptional 235 millimeters of rain fell within just 12 hours. This excess in rainfall has caused significant waterlogging and flooding in various parts of Karachi, overwhelming the infrastructure and leading to urban flooding and severe traffic disruptions.
While speaking to the press conference, Mayor Murtaza Wahab stated that the city’s drainage system has the capacity to manage 40 mm of rain, and anything above that would lead to flooding. Fresh rains from a spell starting on August 19 have overwhelmed the city’s infrastructure, he added.
Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that roughly 3.024 million cubic feet of debris has been removed from storm drains in efforts to improve drainage and manage the accumulated rainwater. However, despite these efforts, many areas still face water accumulation due to the inadequate drainage system.
The mayor has acknowledged the shortcomings and highlighted the need for long-term solutions, including expanding drainage capacity, which remains challenging due to land constraints and resistance from residents.
As a result of the flooding, the city has experienced wide-scale power outages, affecting over 550 electric feeders and leaving many neighborhoods without electricity for extended hours. Efforts to restore power have been hampered due to submerged roads and restricted access for repair teams.
The heavy rains and inadequate drainage caused significant disruption, with some areas experiencing water levels rising up to four feet inside homes. Traffic jams and stranded vehicles were common, and the city faced a near civic collapse with flooded roads and extensive power outages. The Sindh government declared a public holiday to manage the crisis. At least ten deaths have been reported due to electrocution, drowning, and structural collapses during the rain-related flooding.
Despite the new normal of extreme climate and frequent urban flooding in Karachi, the financial hub of Pakistan, the Sindh government has failed miserably in upgrading the city’s drainage infrastructure to meet these challenges. With the city receiving heavy rains repeatedly in recent years, it is unacceptable that the drainage system is still designed to handle a mere 40mm of rainfall, an amount drastically inadequate for managing the volumes of water now regularly experienced.
This glaring neglect and lack of foresight leave Karachi vulnerable to devastating floods, wreaking havoc on lives, property, and the economy. The provincial government’s inability to proactively expand and modernize the drainage capacity not only reflects poor planning but also a disregard for the safety and well-being of millions of residents enduring these avoidable crises time and again.