MIRPURKHAS: Light to moderate spells of rains in more than 10 districts of the interior of Sindh for a second consecutive day on Tuesday aggravated flooding in urban areas and causing widespread power breakdowns. Absence of electricity badly affected water supply and drainage systems.

Vehicular traffic on inter-city routes and within cities and towns remained mostly off the road due to the flooding. Commuters largely remained indoors and customers away from all markets, bazaars, commercial streets and trade centres owing to the bad weather conditions in the rain-hit region.

Intermittent spells of rain were reported from the entire Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Qambar-Shahdadkot and Naushahro Feroze districts and parts of Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar and Larkana districts on Tuesday.

Knee-deep water had accumulated in low-lying areas of Mirpurkhas city and its adjoining towns and villages following two days of light, heavy and moderate rainfall. A large number of families were seen moving out of their localities in these towns, saying that sewage-mixed rainwater had entered their houses making them no more livable.

Municipalities appeared helpless in flushing out the stinking water due to choked gutters as pipelines carrying water into the Left Bank Outfall Drain did not accept inputs. The drain has already been overtopping at its various sections, according to local irrigation officials.

Power utilities also failed to re-energise several hundred feeders, tripped amid rainfall, and attend to complaints of local faults owing to flooding.

Most areas within the cities and towns, as well as agricultural fields looked like lakes.

An unspecified number of thatched houses in rural areas were razed or extensively damaged during the strong winds that kept sweeping through the region intermittently. Hoardings and solar panels were blown away and trees uprooted.

The rains also destroyed standing crops and seedlings.

Similar was the situation in the cities and towns of Tharparkar and Umerkot districts following two days of downpour and continuous light showers.

Hyderabad, Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot, however, received light rains on Tuesday disrupting the routine life to some extent.

Almost all parts of Tharparkar region received heavy showers on Tuesday.

According to official figures, the hilly areas in the desert region received around 190mm of rainfall during the ongoing monsoon spells.

Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar and Naushahro Feroze districts also continued to receive moderate to heavy spells of rain for a second consecutive day on Tuesday

Rainwater accumulated on roads and link roads denying people free access to many towns and villages.

Almost all the areas of these districts remained without electricity whole the day causing great hardship to people.

Massive power outage

A massive power breakdown hit Shahdadkot, Qubo Saeed Khan and Garhi Khairo talukas on Tuesday. Reports from the area suggested that the situation could not be normalised till late in the evening.

According to a Sepco spokesman, strong winds brought down a single-circuit tower at location No. 53 which tripped the MOK-11 breaker. Due to the tripping, some 11 feeders originating from 132kV grid station of Shahdadkot and two 11kV feeders originating from 66kV grid station at Garhi Khairo power supply to a vast area was suspended.

Rain-related casualties

A man was killed when the motorcycle he was riding slipped on Mirwah road due to rain on late Monday evening. The victim, Mulazim Hussain Lashari, was a resident of Mitho Lashari village located near Mirwah Gorchani town. He suffered serious head injuries after falling on road. He was rushed to LUMHS in Hyderabad where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Two boys, Mukesh Kolhi,10, and Kewal Kolhi of his age group, died after they were bitten by snakes while playing in fields in Malhore Vera village near Mithi town on Tuesday.

Their relatives said that the snakes might have been brought to the field by flowing rainwater.

Breach in canal dyke

A 20-feet wide breach occurred in the Feeder Shakh (irrigation channel) at Deh 267, in Kot Ghulam Mohammad taluka of Mirpurkhas district during continuing rains on Monday evening.

The breach was attributed to increased pressure of flows in the canal. A vast agricultural area was inundated by the the gushing deluge. Irrigation workers with the help of affected peasants managed to plug the breach hours later.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2024