Karachi streets flooded after heavy rain
Karachi streets flooded after heavy rain on Tuesday, bringing life in the city to a standstill as residents struggled with traffic jams, power outages, and waterlogged roads. According to the Meteorological Department, the monsoon system over the Arabian Sea will continue to bring intermittent showers to the city, with moderate to heavy rainfall expected through Tuesday and Wednesday.
The downpour, which began early in the morning, affected several areas including Sharea Faisal, Shah Faisal Colony, Airport, Model Colony, II Chundrigar Road, Defence, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and Nazimabad. While the rain provided a much-needed respite from the scorching heat, it also caused urban flooding in low-lying neighborhoods such as North Nazimabad, Nagan Chowrangi, and Dalmia, where roads quickly submerged under water.
The morning showers coincided with office and school timings, leading to severe traffic congestion across major routes of the city. Commuters faced long delays as vehicles struggled to move through inundated streets, while motorcycles and rickshaws were seen stuck in knee-deep water in several areas.
Adding to the misery, the rain triggered widespread power outages after more than 350 feeders tripped, leaving parts of Saddar, Garden, Nazimabad, Korangi, and the Old City Area without electricity. A spokesperson for K-Electric confirmed that while the majority of feeders remained functional, some low-lying areas had their power supply temporarily suspended as a precautionary safety measure. The utility assured residents that repair teams were working round the clock to restore electricity and urged people to report emergencies through its helpline and digital platforms.
In response to the deteriorating situation, Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah directed deputy commissioners and municipal authorities to stay in the field and ensure immediate drainage of accumulated water. He also instructed K-Electric, HESCO, and SEPCO to provide uninterrupted power supply while coordinating with the Meteorological Department and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
Meteorologists warned citizens to prepare for heavier downpours in the coming days and advised them to stay indoors during thunderstorms. People traveling on roads were cautioned to avoid trees, poles, and fences due to the risk of lightning strikes. Mobile phones, they added, should only be used for emergency communication during severe weather.
As Karachi braces for more rain, residents remain anxious about the possibility of worsening urban flooding. The city’s decades-old drainage infrastructure continues to struggle under the weight of monsoon downpours, leaving citizens to hope that timely measures by the administration can prevent the situation from spiraling further.
