- Neglecting major obligations
Karachi’s low lying localities and the city’s arteries were inundated on Sunday, a third time in July’s rainy season. Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan besides being the country’s industrial hub. At least five people, including two children died while several were injured. As rain water entered houses in certain areas, this became another source of anxiety for the people. K-Electric, a running sore of the city, shut down the power supply of low-lying areas allegedly due to water-logging which it claimed had created a safety hazard. By the time this was done, fallen electricity wires had already taken toll of a couple of lives. Besides suspension of power to certain areas, over 500 KE feeders tripped causing water supply shortage in several localities of the city. Flooded roads on working days frequently block city traffic leading to closure of businesses and delays in transport of goods to the port. This not only causes losses to the state’s revenue but also acts as a disincentive for investment in Karachi.
The monsoon spell was not an unexpected event. Not only does it occur every year, the Met had only last week forecast a third spell in Karachi with heavy rain and thunderstorm between July 26 and July 27. As usual, the provincial government and the city fathers were little prepared for the emergency. Reportedly the drains and water courses overflowed because these had not been dredged on time. The people of Karachi were once again the victims of government’s neglect.
Since 2002 Sindh has been ruled either by the PML(Q)-MQM coalition, PPP-MQM coalition or by PPP alone. Eighteen years of bad governance by MQM and PPP have degraded, misshapened, and made unsafe a peaceful, friendly and magnificent city. The 7th NFC Award had provided enough resources to the Sindh government to improve the civic conditions of the metropolis by introducing a reliable water supply system, upgrading of the waste disposal system and provision of an adequate urban transport network. The tasks have remained unfilled for over a decade. Unfortunately the record of the provincial governments led by the PTI is equally dismal.
