Pakistan
Karachi on High Alert as NDMA Warns of More Rains
Karachi on high alert as National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday warned of heavy rainfall and possible flooding across Sindh over the next 12 to 24 hours.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar directed enforcement of rain emergency measures across the province, with response teams activated round the clock and immediate drainage efforts launched in affected areas.
Karachi, the country’s financial hub, was lashed by heavy downpours for four consecutive hours. The Pakistan Meteorological Department recorded 145 millimetres of rainfall in Gulshan-e-Hadeed — the highest in the city.
Other figures included 138mm at Airport Old Area, 137mm at Met Office University Road, 132mm at Jinnah Terminal, 123mm in Saadi Town and 114mm along Sharea Faisal.
“Public safety is the top priority,” the provincial home minister said, urging citizens to “avoid unnecessary travel”.
According to the NDMA, intense showers are expected in Karachi, Thatta, Sujawal and Badin, while Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, Larkana, Shikarpur and Kashmore are also at risk. The weather system is likely to persist for two to three more days, the authority added.
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Meanwhile, heavy rains triggered urban flooding in Karachi. The traffic police confirmed that at least four underpasses – in Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Gharibabad and Clifton – were closed due to water accumulation.
Several key roads, including Sharea Faisal, II Chundrigar Road, Shahrah-e-Pakistan and MA Jinnah Road, remained submerged, causing massive traffic jams and leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon appealed to residents to stay indoors unless necessary, assuring that the provincial machinery, including KMC, Water Board and rescue services, had been mobilised. “The Sindh government will not abandon its people.
Every possible facility is being extended,” he said.
