Naimat Khan
KARACHI: The Sindh government on Tuesday issued a weather warning, in which it has directed all district disaster management authorities, commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure that all precautionary measures are taken to avoid any untoward situation as well adopt an effective response mechanism, including issuing an early warning for flash floods.
The direction, through a “most urgent” letter, was issued in connection with a weather warning issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The PMD had intimated, “A strong monsoon weather system from India is heading towards Sindh and is likely to enter south-east Sindh on Tuesday evening.”
A day earlier, the Pakistan meteorological department – the national weather forecasting centre – predicted widespread rain and thunderstorm associated with gusty winds in lower Sindh, including the seaside metropolis of Karachi, from tomorrow till Friday.
Met-Office informed that strong monsoon currents are likely to continue penetrating in southern parts of the country, while moderate currents are also expected to enter upper parts and Kashmir from Tuesday to Friday.
Under the influence of this weather system, the advisory Met office Karachi issued here on Monday stated, widespread rain/thunderstorm associated with gusty winds (isolated heavy to very heavy falls) is expected in lower Sindh (Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Karachi divisions) and at scattered places in Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Kalat, Quetta, Sibbi, Zhob and Naseerabad divisions from Wednesday to Friday.
“Rain-thunderstorm is also expected at scattered places in Bahawalpur, Multan, D.G. Khan and Sahiwal divisions, while at isolated places in Hazara, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Lahore divisions, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir on Wednesday/Thursday,” it further reads.
According to met office rain-thunderstorm is expected at scattered places in Hazara, Malakand, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, D.I. Khan, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore divisions, Islamabad, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during Friday and Saturday.
Spokesman further informed that heavy to very heavy falls may generate urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpur Khas divisions on Wednesday and Thursday and flash flooding in the vulnerable Nullas/streams of eastern Balochistan during the period.
The national weather forecasting centre has advised all concerned authorities to take necessary precautionary measures during the period.
A maximum of 41 millimetres of rainfall that the city received last week coupled with gusty winds wreaked havoc on the power supply system and municipal infrastructure as electrocution, falling billboard and roof collapse incidents left at least 19 people dead in different areas before another heavy spell of rain hit the metropolis late Tuesday evening.
The situation turned even worse due to flooding of low-lying areas and prolonged power outages, prompting Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar to order the rain emergency centre to function round the clock for the next two days as the Meteorological Department forecast partly cloudy to cloudy weather with chances of rain and thunderstorm on Wednesday (today).
There was no official word on exact death toll from any government department but the figures of casualties available with hospitals and rescue services of Edhi and Chhipa suggested that a total of 19 people including women and children died in rain-related incidents.
According to reports, most of the victims died from electrocution. They included Ruqayya Khatoon, 35, who died in the Rasheedabad area of Khawaja Ajmer Nagri; Fatima Wali Mohammad, 45, in North Nazimabad; Kaleemullah, 45, in Bhangoria Goth area of Azizabad; Aslam, 22, in Madinah Colony area of New Karachi; and Ghulam Mohammad, 45, in Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Block 18.
