Published on: September 11, 2025 12:42 AM
Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab visited different parts of the city to review the post-rain situation. During his visit, he inspected Garden, M.A. Jinnah Road, and several locations in District South.
Mayor Karachi said that due to timely action by the administration, most of the city’s roads had been cleared. He added that staff from the Water Corporation and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) were still in the field and fully prepared to deal with any emergency situation.
He remarked that “the city did not sink, but the hard work of Karachi’s leadership has surely drowned the hopes of those who wished to politicize the rains.” He further said that he was personally touring the city to hear public grievances and ensure immediate redressal of their issues.
The Mayor said that with the sea water level receding, the overall situation of the city had improved and things would return to normal soon.
During his visit to Lyari, Mayor Karachi also listened to public complaints and reviewed drainage arrangements. He directed the Water Corporation to take immediate steps to improve drainage and reiterated his commitment to ensuring uninterrupted supply of drinking water. The Mayor instructed that modern machinery be installed in Lyari to permanently resolve drainage problems. Responding swiftly to public complaints, he also inspected the Jamila Pumping Station and ordered the Water Corporation to resolve pumping issues on an emergency basis.
Mayor Karachi directed municipal representatives to immediately repair roads damaged after rains and instructed that special attention be paid to making the sanitation system more effective. He reiterated his resolve that work for public relief would continue round the clock, stating that providing relief to citizens was his top priority and that a comprehensive plan was already in place to deal with the rains.
Earlier, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab conducted late-night visits to different city areas to inspect drainage operations. Municipal Commissioner S.M. Afzal Zaidi and COO Water Corporation Asadullah Khan also accompanied him. He inspected the Clifton Pumping Station and directed officials to increase the number of pumping machines in case of further rain so that citizens do not face difficulties. He also instructed district administration to remain in close coordination for the immediate resolution of public complaints.
Mayor Karachi further visited several city nullahs (storm-water drains) and reviewed the cleaning arrangements. He inspected the areas of Numaish, Gurumandir, and Lasbela Road, noting that drain cleaning had significantly improved the flow of rainwater. He stressed that strict monitoring must continue to ensure uninterrupted water flow, making it clear that any negligence would not be tolerated.
Taking immediate notice of rainwater accumulation at Nagan Chowrangi, Mayor Karachi paid an emergency visit to District Central and reviewed drainage arrangements. He said that it had been decided earlier that in case of waterlogging or choking points, roads would be temporarily closed to avoid public inconvenience. At Nagan Chowrangi, the administration acted promptly, closing the road while both drains were cleared and continuous pumping was underway. He explained that stormwater from New Karachi, North Karachi, and Qalandria converges toward this point, which creates additional pressure. However, district administration, KMC, and town teams were present on-site and actively managing the situation.
Mayor Karachi also inspected several other areas in District Central, including Sakhi Hassan, Nagan Chowrangi, Shahrah-e-Pakistan, Liaquatabad, Azizabad, New Karachi, Qalandria, and others. He instructed officials to further speed up water drainage operations and to immediately deploy additional machinery in case of further rains to prevent inconvenience to citizens. He also directed the Senior Director Municipal Services to ensure imm,ediate cooperation with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in case of any emergency.
Rain Deaths
The death toll from rain-related incidents in Karachi rose to seven on Wednesday, while over 300 people were relocated to safety after heavy monsoon showers swelled the Malir and Lyari rivers.
Lyari and Malir rivers serve as Karachi’s main storm drains, channelling rainwater through a network of nullahs into the Arabian Sea. Once natural seasonal streams, they are now heavily constricted by urban sprawl, encroachments, and solid waste, turning many drains into open sewers. This blockage reduces their capacity to carry stormwater, causing frequent urban flooding during monsoon downpours.
Four more people died in rain-related incidents in the metropolis on Wednesday, raising the death toll since Tuesday to seven, while three were missing, according to rescue services.
Edhi rescuers recovered the bodies of two men and a woman after a van carrying four people fell into the rain-filled Konkar Nadi in Gadap Town, a statement issued by the Edhi Foundation said. The deceased were identified as 60-year-old Nabu Gulab, 45-year-old Raja Gulab and 45-year-old Javed Shah.
The rescue operation to find the other missing people was underway, the spokesperson added.
Separately, police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told the media that the body of an 18-year-old man, identified as Ahmed Qadir, was brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital from North Nazimabad’s Block-C after he “died of an electric shock”.
A man was saved alive and the search for another was underway after the two went missing in the Malir river, a statement issued by Rescue 1122 said.
The man rescued was identified as Mustafa Ali Gul, while Farhan Akram remained missing. Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad and the Malir deputy commissioner were present on the site, Rescue 1122 added. Two others were rescued alive after they were trapped in the Lyari river, Rescue 1122 said in a statement, shared by the Sindh Information Department.
.jpg)
