Roads inundated with rain water: decades-old sewerage system needs upgradation

Due to inadequate drainage facilities on the roads constructed by Capital Development Authority (CDA) and decades-old sewerage system in the city, majority of roads and streets in the metropolis were inundated on Monday with rain water. According to a survey conducted by Business Recorder, streams of accumulated water were witnessed at Faiz Abad, Khayaban-e-Iqbal, Fazal-e-Haq Road, I-8 service road, Aabpara, Karachi Company, Sitara Market, Peshawar Morr and Katchi Abadis due to which motorists, pedestrian as well as shoppers faced great difficulties.
Because of heavy rain, most of the traffic signals and intersections including Aapbara, sector I-8 traffic signal, and Airport Chowk witnessed bumper to bumper traffic as roads were badly inundated. Heavy rainwater also engulfed manholes located on roadsides causing problems for pedestrians and motorists.
A senior official of CDA said on condition of anonymity that the city drainage and sewerage system would further deteriorate in future causing problems after every rain spill. CDA, he further clarified, has given permission for the construction of high rise buildings but the Authority has not yet implemented its plans to upgrade the decades-old sewage system. He said that problems due to old sewerage lines would first emerge at the city's commercial centre, Blue Area and the Markaz of various sectors in the city. Pressure on the current sewerage system started when the CDA reviewed the original plan in the 1980s, and allowed the construction of six-storey buildings on the southern side of Jinnah Avenue, where the commercial plazas are now located, while on the northern side, high-rise buildings of 15 to 19 storey, were allowed. No initiatives were taken to upgrade the sewerage system to fulfil future requirements while reviewing the master plan, he said.
He said currently a number of multi-story buildings are under construction in the city which would further badly affect the already overloaded sewerage system. World over, authorities upgrade systems such as the sewerage and water supply systems before taking such steps, he said.
A number of citizens told Business Recorder that rain along with chest high water in several places made their lives miserable, and they were particularly wary of open manholes posing serious threat to pedestrians and damage to vehicles. The civic body, the official added, is only focusing on constructing new roads but they seldom bother to make arrangements to improve drainage in already constructed roads.