HYDERABAD: Another 30-minute spell of rainfall on Tuesday aggravated conditions as rainwater accumulated across Hyderabad, with the areas of Qasimabad and Latifabad being the worst-affected. Met city office recorded 21mm of rainfall in the city and 14.7mm in the Airport area.

Even government officers were not able to enter their offices located in Shahbaz Building. Thandi Sarak remained submerged under rainwater since Monday.

At last night’s meeting, acting HDA Director Gene­ral Ghulam Mohammad and Wasa Managing Director Saleemuddin told the Hyd­er­abad commissioner and deputy commissioner that clearing Shahbaz Building of rainwater was the responsibility of the buildings department. DC Aijaz Shah said he was trying to locate chief engineer of buildings Akhtar Dawach but he was not available.

People living in the rain-affected areas have moved to other places. Those who don’t have an alternative struggled to de-water their houses.

Residents of Qasimabad and Latifabad remained the worst-hit ever since it star­ted raining. The areas of Phase-I, 88, Gulistan-i-Saj­jad, Citizens Colony, She­edi Goth, Abdullah Town, Pri­nce Town, Marvi Town, Al Mustafa Town, Alamdar Cho­wk and Burhani Nagar faced immense hardship due to accumulation of rainwater in their societies and unavailability of electricity.

Acting Mayor Sohail Mashhadi and Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmakers Sabir Qaimkhani, Salah­uddin and Rashid Khi­lji visited different pumping stations and rain-affected areas to see whether pumping stations were draining out rainwater.

The mayor told Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during his Latifabad visit that the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) was facing problems, which should be addressed.

Qaumi Awami Tehreek president Ayaz Latif Palijo also visited rain-affected areas of Qasimabad including Bhitai Town, Gulistan-i-Sajjad, Citizens Colony and Sehrish Nagar. He said these areas were submerged by rainwater due to incompetence of government and administrative negligence. He claimed that billions of rupees released under the head of development had been misappropriated. He held the Sindh government responsible for the mess.

BADIN: Various parts of Badin district continued to receive intermittent moderate to heavy rain spells on Tuesday.

Low-lying areas Badin city, Tando Bago, Pangrio, Talhar, Rajo Khanani, Khoski, Shadi Large, Nindo Shahar, Golarchi and other towns continued to remain submerged in deep water making people to remain indoors and vehicular traffic to stay off the road.

A massive power breakdown hit the entire district on Monday night. A few hours after the electricity was restored, another long spell of outage was experienced on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a breach in the dyke of Ameer Shah drain near Aasili village caused flooding in more than 10 nearby villages and across hundreds of the acres of farmlands.

The affected villagers held a protest demonstration at on Badin-Karachi road for several hours against officials of irrigation department and Sida (Sindh Irr­iga­tion and Drainage Authority) for their failure to help plug it.

Army soldiers came to the rescue of the local population by plugging the breach and shifting the affected people to safe places.

Breaches also occurred in the dykes of Imam Wah and Sher Wah causing flooding several villages near the Khanani Jat and Khorwah areas.

UMERKOT: A 30-foot-wide breach occurred in Heeral Drain near Babu Siyal village of Samaro town inundating scores of villages and washing away standing crops over a vast area.

Irrigation sub-divisional officer Mr Zahid told local reporters that the machinery required for the plugging of breach was not available but he was trying to acquire the same as soon as possible.

Umerkot received more heavy showers for a third consecutive day on Tuesday.

A Thari herdsman, Ibrahim Saand, 25, drowned in Noor Wah (irrigation channel) while he was walking along his herd.

He was stated to be trying to feed water to his cows when he slipped into the waterway. Local divers fished out his body after seven hours of hectic efforts.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2019