The deluge and after

Life in Karachi, once again, came to a standstill following widespread flooding caused by the second monsoon cloudburst in a month lasting about three hours last Thursday. With water, water everywhere, leaving people helplessly caught in a deluge. Beaten hollow was the city and provincial governments' claim of pre-monsoon emergency measures to meet any emergency.
The same can be said about the fate of the seemingly comforting plans of the Defence Housing Authority and the Cantonment Boards. For one thing, the entire range of utility services were paralysed during devastating spell and its equally horrendous aftermath. Thousands of working people, finding themselves endlessly stranded along worst jammed roads, could only pray to Almighty Allah, for their own safety as well as that of their families back home they had no way of contacting.
Needless to point out, this brought to the fore sheer lack of preparedness of the police to meet the crisis situation. Contrary to the expectations of the people from the authorities concerned, there was little evidence of police doing anything worth the name to handle the chaotic conditions in the 18 towns of the city.
So much so that deep craters and potholes, created by menacing gush of water, remained unidentifiable, leading extensive to damage to big and small vehicles alike. It will also be noted that underpasses now being constructed were submerged under 15-feet deep water.
More to this, at various points along Sharea Faisal, the city's most prestigious artery at some points came under knee deep water. Little wonder, aside from the rain overflowing water from choked drains accumulated at innumerable places, and a large number of vehicles broke down, causing further obstacles in the movement of traffic.
Worse, the telecommunication system collapsed, as even the mobile phones, whose fast multiplying numbers are fondly cited as evidence of the country's growing prosperity, failed. On top of it, unmanaged traffic jams are reported to have provided snatchers of cell phones with a rare opportunity to make it a day. The transport system totally collapsed even in some residential areas lying at a higher level, which were not inundated as hundreds of vehicles stood trapped in large pools of water all over the city.
The motorists plight was aggravated by the unfilled ditches, dug up roads by the city authorities as part of the ongoing massive infrastructure development activity. The deluge did not pass over without taking a heavy toll of life. At least 13 people were reportedly electrocuted by live electricity cables broken loose from the poles dangling in the water below.
About as many people are reported to have died in other accidents.
Of course, the rain havoc in Karachi during this monsoon, was natural calamity, from which there can be no escape. But while the monsoon continue and more damage and hardship may be suffered, it is inundation of water that needs to be managed with least waste of time.
As it is, the water and sewerage systems are supposed to have been reconstructed and readied for any eventuality, but these have evidently failed in Karachi. The departments concerned cannot get away with their failure by blaming it on the inadequacy flaws of systems.
For one thing, there is a limit to the utility of machines and other high cost sophisticated devices. Beyond that reliance has to be placed on manpower, for example, as they do in China. With enormous manpower resources, Pakistan happens to be blessed with, we would do well to mobilise this great force with objectively conceived, and scientifically executed plans.
The devolution of power has brought an opportunity for the local governments to mobilise the country's huge manpower potential, at least, for emergency situations.