YOUR editorial ‘Clogged drains’ (Sept 10) on the current monsoon has, as usual, exposed once again the incompetence of civic bodies in the metropolis. However, I would like to add that it is not only big cities like Karachi and Peshawar where the otherwise avoidable malady was manifest, but entire Sindh is yet again in the grip of virtual disaster. Like the past two years, this year too downpour has wrought inundation, deaths and extensive damage to properties, standing crops and livestock in almost the entire province of Sindh.

Unfortunately, like earlier years, this time a few days heavy rain has left most of the cities and towns either submerged under knee-deep rainwater and sewerage or under threat of inundation due to the overflow of saline channels. For the public woes, seasonal rains cannot be put to blame as these are obviously manmade. On the one hand, cities and towns have lost the old-age system of rainwater and the sewerage draining throygh continued inattention, incompetence and politicisation of the local government institution and subsequently through unauthorised occupation of spots by builders’ mafia with the active connivance of local politicians and officials.

Another palpable damage was caused by the heavy silting of channels carrying saline water to the sea. The saline water channel played havoc in the preceding year when their dykes were busted and the entire districts of Sanghar, Badin and Thatta were submerged in the saline water.

The hapless people of these districts have still not recovered from the colossal losses of the preceding year that the current rains have again swelled the channels. These channels have again brought misery to the already sufferers because no significant effort was made by the provincial government to restore and strengthen embankments where required, and desilting of canals despite tall claims.

On the federal and the provincial level — though the Disaster Management Authorities (DMA) established during 2006 — are there, no work worth mentioning has, however, been done by them.

The people heading authorities are just enjoying the best of their time and the pay and perquisites without providing relief to the people for whose services they are being paid from the government exchequer.

Unless DMAs are made accountable, things would deteriorate further. Moreover, unless urgent steps are taken to restore rainwater drains and sewerage, and saline water canals de-silted and their embankments strengthened, people would continue to suffer losses whenever there is even a moderate downpour. The federal and provincial governments must shun politicking and take steps to resolve this grave situation.

DR K.K. Hussain Hyderabad