Schools to remain closed in Karachi, Hyderabad as heavy rain likely today

Karachi/Hyderabad: In view of the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) warning of a likely cyclonic storm over coastal areas of Sindh, the Karachi and Hyderabad administration on Thursday announced closure of all public and private schools today (Friday).

According to the PMD, a severe low-pressure system over the Arabian Sea is likely to transform into a cyclonic storm today. PMD Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz said that if the low-pressure system developed into a cyclonic storm, it will be named Asna, which means ‘highest and brightest’.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority on Thursday issued an advisory stating that the deep depression over Rann of Kutch, India, had moved southwest slowly during the last 12 hours and was around 270 kilometres southeast of Karachi on Thursday night.

The system will likely move west/southwestwards and emerge into the northeast Arabian Sea along the Sindh coast by Friday morning. Due to favorable environmental conditions, the system will likely intensify further into a cyclonic Storm (CS) by Friday and move initially in the west/southwest direction.

The PDMA said that under its influence, widespread rain/wind thunderstorms with scattered heavy to very heavy rains were likely in Tharparker, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Dadu and Shaheed Benazirabad districts and Karachi division until Saturday, August 31, with occasional gaps.

Sea conditions are likely to remain rough with squally winds of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour. “It is recommended that the concerned Deputy Commissioners and other relevant authorities/ stakeholders may take all necessary mitigation measures as communicated,” said the PDMA advisory.

The Karachi commissioner, Syed Hassan Naqvi, imposed a ban on fishermen venturing into the sea, as well as on swimming, bathing, diving, and wading in the sea and coastal areas of the Karachi division, effective from Thursday until August 31, Saturday.

The commissioner also decided that all the public and private schools in Karachi will remain closed on Friday.

A notification issued by the commissioner read that the deputy commissioner of District Keamari had “reported high tides and turbulent waves in the Arabian Sea”. Naqvi empowered the station house officers to register cases under the Section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code against those who violated the ban on swimming and bathing in the sea.

Intermittent rain

Light to moderate rain continued across Karachi intermittently on Thursday. According to the PMD, the maximum rain in the provincial capital on Thursday was recorded in Gulshan-e-Hadeed at 30.5 millimeters (mm), followed by 30mm in Surjani Town.

The rainfall was recorded to be 7.2mm in Nazimabad, 15.7mm in Korangi, 9mm on University Road, 15mm in Keamari, 4.8mm in DHA Phase II, and 7.5mm at the airport.

The PAF Faisal Base received 10mm of rain, Gulshan-e-Maymar 9.9mm, Gadap 3.7mm, Saddar 11mm, North Karachi 12.2mm, and Orangi Town 13.1mm of rain.

Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Thursday said that despite continuous rainfall in the city for the past two days, all roads and underpasses under the jurisdiction of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) were clear.

All the municipal staff were actively working, he said, adding that drainage work was being carried out on all major roads and streets with the help of the water corporation's suction machines and de-watering pumps.

The KMC, Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation and all other relevant civic bodies had been working around the clock to facilitate the public, Wahab remarked. “We are prepared to face all kinds of challenges,” he asserted.

The mayor paid a visit to the Clifton Pumping Station, PIDC Pumping Station and some areas of the city. The mayor's political affairs spokesperson, Karamullah Waqasi, KWSC Chief Operating Officer Asadullah Khan, and other officials accompanied him.

Wahab mentioned that rainwater drainage from most of the city's roads continued despite continuous rain but there were challenges in the drainage work in inner streets and low-lying areas, where de-watering pumps and machinery were being used.

He said Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had instructed that all available resources should be used to serve Karachi's citizens. “Unlike in the past, citizens have not faced the same level of discomfort during the current rains. We aim to have every officer and worker present in the field to manage this challenge effectively,” he said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Clifton Cantonment Board (CBC) said drainage work had been promptly carried out during the intermittent rain. He said the CBC was fully prepared for the monsoon rains.

According to the spokesperson, significant measures had been taken to ensure timely rainwater drainage and machinery installed in various areas to aid in the drainage, improvement and restoration of rainwater.

Hyderabad situation

The Latifabad, City and Qasimabad tehsils of Hyderabad as well as the rural areas of the district faced flooding on Thursday as a result of continuous rain.

In the densely populated areas of Hyderabad city such as Liaquatabad, Phuleli, and Cloth Market, roads and streets were inundated.

Many areas of Latifabad such as Latifabad No 2, No 5, No 11 and No 12 were also flooded and the traffic flow was severely affected.

Those going to the railway station also faced problems due to accumulated rainwater.

The Gulistan-e-Sajad, Citizen Colony, Alamdar Chowk and Shedi Village areas of Qasimbad were also flooded with water.

The traffic flow remained slow due to accumulation of water on Halanaka Road, Fateh Chowk and Kotri Road.

According to the PMD, an average of 120 millimetres of rain had been recorded in Hyderabad, and there was a possibility of more rain in the next 24 hours.

The district administration had announced a school holiday on Thursday due to the heavy rain prediction. As it rained continuously on Thursday, Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Zainul Aabdin Memon issued a notification to keep schools closed in the district on Friday as well.

It has also been announced that all educational institutions, including the Sindh Agriculture University, University of Sindh, Mehran University, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, and other varsities would remain closed.

Abdul Jabbar Khan, the government’s focal person of Hyderabad regarding the rain, spoke to the media at the Shehbaz Hall along with Mayor Kashif Shoro and deputy commissioner. He said it had been raining continuously for three days and the mayor along with the district administration were on the ground to ensure drainage of rainwater.

He said that the government was constructing a drain from Auto Bhaan to Tando Yusuf in Hyderabad.

On the occasion, Shoro said that all relevant institutions were present in the field to provide relief to the citizens. He said Sehriah Nangar, Meher Ali, Latifabad No 7 and Latifabad No 2 were among those areas where earlier rainwater got accumulated to the height of around five feet, but this time the drainage in those areas had improved a lot.

He said Rs10 million had been released to the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) for rainwater drainage in the city and 118 pumping stations of Wasa were working round the clock. He added that more than 18 machines of the public health engineering department had also been engaged in drainage work.

The mayor stated that the town corporations had been empowered, and after the completion of Hyderabad's Karo Ghangro project, the sewerage issues would be resolved permanently.