KARACHI: The fresh rain system dropped “moderate to heavy showers” on Karachi on Friday and the city’s poor and neglected municipal infrastructure and vulnerable electricity supply system responded erratically, as usual, leaving two men dead, dozens of localities without power, severe traffic jams on roads and several low-lying areas inundated with rainwater.

All deaths were reported from electrocution, which has become a regular feature after rain spells in the city.

According to Edhi Foundation, which moved the bodies to hospitals, a young man identified as Inayatullah died from electrocution in Federal B Area Block 16 when he met the deadly incident near the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases.Another man died of electrocution in Lyari’s Khadda Market, said the charity official.

Thick and dark clouds burst in the second half of the day and the rain spell continued for several hours with multiple breaks in Karachi with the maximum rainfall recorded 35 millimetres in some areas. The Met Office described the fresh spell as a “moderate to heavy rainfall” and said that the trend was likely to continue for at least for 24 hours.

A Meteorological department official said that certain areas in Landhi received maximum of 35 millimetres (nearly 1.5 inches) of rain on Friday.

Gulshan-i-Hadeed, located on the outskirts of the city along the National Highway, was the place which received the second highest amount of rain, where it was measured at 14 millimetres, he added.

Other places and the amount of rains, according to the Met officials on Friday night, were: Sharea Faisal 13 millimetres; Saddar 12 millimetres; Old Area 11.7 millimetres; Jinnah Terminal 10.8 millimetres; Gulistan-i-Jauher 12.2 millimetres; North Karachi 9.2 millimetres.

He said that the maximum temperature recorded in the city on Friday was 33 degrees Celsius; and the minimum temperature recorded was 27.5 degrees Celsius and humidity was 72 per cent.

The weather on Saturday was expected to remain partly cloudy to cloudy with chances of thunderstorm rain and the maximum temperature was expected to remain between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius, he said.

The Met Office, he said, had also recorded rainfall in other towns in Sindh in past 24 hours, which included Badin (58 millimetres, which is over two inches); Diplo (53 millimetres); Mithi (38); Thatta (37); Chahchro (30); Padidan (26); Nawabshah (24); Chhore (seven); and Hyderabad (two).

He said that thunderstorm rains, with isolated heavy rainfall, were expected at scattered places in the province on Saturday.

On the other hand, despite claims and announcement from the municipal and provincial authorities, the city infrastructure again proved incapable of meeting the challenge as failure of drainage system left many roads inundated with rainwater leading to severe traffic jam and closure of main key links.

In south, severe traffic jam was witnessed on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Club Road, I I Chundrigarh Road, M R Kayani Road, Rafiqi Shaheedi Road, Sarwar Shaheed Road, Court Road, Fatima Jinnah Road, Old Outram Road, Hasrat Mohani Road, Wood Street, Shahra-i-Kamal Ataturk, Burns Road, Belassis Street, Shahra-i-Liaquat and Nicol Road.

Similarly, roads Sir Shah Mohammed Suleman Road connecting east district with central and west suffered the same situation. Hundreds of vehicles were seen snarled up on main Sharea Faisal as commuters complained of slow movement due to inundated street and absence of traffic police officials to handle the situation.

Situation on Shershah Suri Road and Shahra-i-Pakistan in district central was no different like Maripur Road and Shershah Road in west and Quaidabad link road in Malir district.

The power supply system again failed to show any sign of improvement. The consumers, who did have electricity, however, complained of low voltage or not getting one or two phases.

Without giving any reason of tripping and faults and what measures it had taken to avoid such situation of downpour, the spokesman for the K-Electric came up with a brief response: “Work to restore power to these areas is under way with teams working non-stop.”

Due to tripping of extra high-tension lines, many areas in the city were left without power as soon as it started to rain.

The affected areas include Gulistan-i-Jauhar, pockets of Defence Housing Authority, Clifton, Saddar, Garden, F. B Area, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Nazimabad and Dhabeji pumping station.

The power utility spokesman was more focused on advising people to stay away from billboards, trees, electricity poles, and transformers in the rain for their safety, but there was no word on reasons about failure of its supply system in every rain and why it had not been able so far to resolve the issue for once and for all.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2016