COME the monsoons and many city dwellers start dreading the prospects of urban flooding. And as a picture published in this newspaper recently — of a storm-drain in Karachi oozing with mounds of garbage — showed, these fears are not unfounded. The picture belies the civic agencies’ claims of being prepared for the rains. During the recent spell of wet weather Peshawar and Karachi seem to have borne the brunt of rain-related havoc. Thankfully, the damage was limited, but that was more due to the fact that less rain was received, at least in Karachi. Still, problems were caused which could have been avoided with proper urban planning. Low-lying areas in both cities were flooded, while prolonged power outages due to creaky infrastructure were also reported. Traffic jams were also a major problem, especially in Karachi, mostly caused by panicky motorists in a rush to get home to avoid getting caught in a flood of water. However, traffic officials in the metropolis also attributed the gridlock to drainage issues, as stagnant water caused bottlenecks.

Clearing clogged drains to allow for the proper drainage of rainwater is the best solution to minimise the effects of urban flooding. Yet civic agencies across the country fail to realise this year after year. In Karachi there are spots that are notorious for drainage problems, while Peshawar’s sewerage system is also in bad shape. These deficiencies need to be addressed to prevent perennial flooding and the ensuing havoc. The need to clear clogged drains was highlighted several times before the arrival of the monsoons, but these warnings were not taken seriously. And it is not as if the rains came suddenly — the authorities had plenty of time to prepare as this year’s monsoons came quite late in the season. If rainwater drainage issues continue to be ignored by the civic bodies, it will only add to citizens’ woes.