Every year this Monsoon season has been nothing but disastrous! Last year the roads were flooded due to poor design and management of roads. No sign of drainage system caused the sidewalks to break down and the roads were rendered unusable. Around 27 people died and aside from this many animals fell sick or died due to heavy rains since Eid-ul-Adha was around the same time.
This time around in 2020 the situation has changed, but not for the better. Rainfall due to monsoon spells has been recorded the highest in 2020. Vehicles are drowning in multiple areas of Karachi and land sliding in parts of Gulistan-e-Johar has destroyed at least 20 cars and bikes and houses nearby have been vacated for precautionary measures. Even after last year’s destruction, we have not learned from our mistakes.
While many of us wait for rainfall to cut the heat during the summers. There are few who fear this weather because of the devastation that the rain brings with it. However, the majority of us still wonder when we have had such experiences in the past, where are the improvements? It is confusing how the financial hub of Pakistan; Karachi has been constructed without considering the drainage system. It is high time when the structural changes are not only based on generating political benefits, to gain short term visibility right before elections. It is vital to base decisions on analysis and evaluation to avoid destruction every year.
Rain in Karachi has never been a relief but a disaster we face every year!
