Clogged drains raise monsoon flood fears in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: With the monsoon season under way in Pakistan, Hyderabad is entering another rainy period with key stormwater drains still blocked, heightening concerns that even moderate rainfall could again flood roads, residential areas and commercial localities.

Residents said open drains in Hyderabad city and Latifabad are overflowing with solid waste, while underground drainage lines in Qasimabad have also been obstructed by accumulated debris, restricting the movement of wastewater. One of the most affected points is the Liaquat Colony drain, where sewage has already spilled onto nearby roads and streets before the onset of major monsoon rains, disrupting routine activity in the area.

Pakistan’s monsoon season runs from July to mid-September, and Hyderabad has a record of widespread flooding during this period. Heavy rain frequently overwhelms the city’s ageing drainage system, submerging roads and leaving residents stranded for days. Despite this recurring situation, residents said no broad desilting or drain-clearing operation has been carried out this year by the Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation, Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, town municipal corporations or the district administration.

Drains in several localities remain obstructed

Although a large part of Hyderabad’s sewerage network is based on underground pipelines, a number of densely populated neighbourhoods in Hyderabad city and Latifabad still depend on open drains for both sewage disposal and rainwater runoff. Several heavily affected drains include the one along Airport Road between Latifabad Units 8 and 12, the channel stretching from Nishat Chowk to the former Odeon Cinema, the drain passing through Liaquat Colony toward the Sattar Shah Graveyard pumping station, and the Kali Mori drain.

These channels, which serve thickly populated areas, were reported to be filled with large amounts of garbage. Residents said the buildup of waste in some sections has become so extensive that children are able to walk across the compacted rubbish. The reduced capacity of the drains has contributed to repeated sewage overflows, while damaged retaining walls in some places have blurred the line between the roadway and the drain.

Concerns over sanitation and civic response

The situation has been described as especially serious on the former Pakistan Oil Mills Road in Liaquat Colony, where refuse from households and waste from nearby cattle farms have further clogged the drain. As a result, sewage has backed up into adjacent streets, including the area outside Jamia Arabia Riyaz-ul-Uloom, affecting traffic and raising public health concerns.

Social welfare association workers also criticised what they described as the failure of civic bodies to undertake comprehensive drain cleaning before the monsoon. They said authorities repeatedly turn to temporary cleaning drives only after flooding has already taken place rather than carrying out preventive work in advance. They warned that residents and traders in areas including Capital Plaza, Nishat Market, Gari Khata and Guru Nagar continue to bear the impact of that pattern.