The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned the Sindh government about heavy rain starting July 15. However, the authorities have not taken practical steps to clean stormwater drains, sewer lines, or gutters in Hyderabad.
Garbage still fills the main drains that pass through crowded neighbourhoods, and officials have not repaired the broken or missing protective walls. As a result, citizens feel increasingly worried.
After the alert, high-level meetings took place where commissioners, deputy commissioners, and municipal agencies received clear instructions to prepare for urban flooding.
The Sindh Local Government Department also issued a circular on July 10. It asked the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and town municipal bodies to take safety measures. Despite this, more than 48 hours have passed, and no department has started any on-ground work.
Several major drains, such as the one from Liaquat Colony and Sattar Shah Graveyard to Memon Hospital Chowk and Tando Yusuf, serve as sewage outlets for dense areas. These drains remain completely clogged.
Likewise, the drains near the old vegetable market and Latifabad Airport Road show similar neglect. Thick waste layers cover them so fully that people can hardly tell they are drains. In fact, children walk over them without realizing the danger.
Moreover, many drains have broken protective walls. In some places, the water level inside the drains has reached the road. This has caused accidents. On May 17, a 7-year-old boy named Raheel Afzal fell into an open drain near the old vegetable market and drowned. Later, on June 11, two girls, 10-year-old Rabeel and 8-year-old Parisha, fell into an uncovered drain in Jani Shah Mohalla. Sadly, Rabeel died.
Yet, the Hyderabad administration, the municipal corporation, and Town Municipal Administrations have not repaired any protective walls. Even the Union Committees, which receive Rs 1.2 million each month in government grants, have not taken action. They spend part of the funds on salaries and bills but leave the rest unused. This shows a serious lack of urgency.
Each year, the Sindh government and local bodies hold emergency meetings and announce rain plans. They also allocate large budgets. Sometimes they clean drains in a superficial way just to show off. According to citizens, departments even submit fake bills for this cleaning work. No one has ever faced action for this ongoing carelessness.
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