Daily Times

KARACHI: Karachi receives heavy rain on second consecutive day on Saturday, which turned the weather pleasant, but also brought in problems with it for the city.

The rainwater flooded the major arteries and roads, the rain water overflowed the sewage courses since they were pounded with garbage not been lifted for weeks ; power outages disrupted life in several areas of port.

At least four people were killed and another four people got injured in rain-related incidents in the city. One man was electrocuted at Bufferzone. Slippery roads resulted in accidents with two people being killed in Nazimabad. Another man was electrocuted in Korangi area, officials and rescue sources said.

Around four people, including a minor, were also injured as the roof on an under-construction house collapsed in Shirin Jinnah Colony.

Met office recorded 30mm of rain at PAF Base Masroor, 33.5 mm in North Karachi, 46mm in North Nazimabad, 17mm in Landhi, 31.2mm at Jinnah International Airport, 36.1 in downtown (Old City) areas and and 53mm at PAF Base Faisal. The mercury dropped down to 10 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

Due to the accumulation of water on roads, the traffic between Nazimabad to Guru Mandir moved at a very slowly, the construction on the metro bus route increased the slowness of the flow, while drivers and commuters traveling on University Road, Lucky Star, Saddar and area which lies on the Green Line Bus Rapid Transit system, where roads are under construction also witnessed problems.

In Karachi South, rain emergency was declared by Karachi Development Authority and District Municipal Corporation (DMC) South.

Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah visited different parts of the city and during his visit he said the situation in the city following the rain was not satisfactory.

Murad added that he had asked the city’s mayor to join him, adding that Waseem Akhtar was in the field as well. “We all have the same purpose of solving peoples’ problems.”

However, on other hand, Mayor Karachi, Waseem Akhtar said that the rainfall in Karachi was extraordinary, directing officials to use all resources to clear the water which has accumulated on roads.

Akhtar informed the media about areas where water had accumulated in the city. “The aim now is to clear the water and not to worry about whose domain this comes under”.

The citizens of Karachi had to put up with the usual power outage as the city received its first winter shower.

Due to the heavy rain, many areas witnessed long hours of power shutdown such as Nazimabad, Banaras and Machar Colony and even some of the areas witnessed more than 24 hours outage since Friday.

Meanwhile, the rain has turned the weather pleasant and most of the people rushed to city’s beaches along with their families and outburst was seen at food streets and eateries when people had come to enjoy the weather.

Earlier, the flow of traffic was which had been badly affected by the first spell of winter rain in Karachi has resumed to an extent on Friday evening.