Accumulated rainwater: large number of people could not offer prayers at Eidgahs

This year a large number of Karachiites offered Eid prayers in mosques instead of Eidgahs because of water that accumulated there following heavy rains. Many Keamariites were seen offering the Eid prayers in various mosques instead of KPT Ground, which is flooded for weeks after heavy downpours.
Thousands of faithful in UC I, II and III, who have been performing the religious ritual in KPT Ground for years had to gather in Masjid-e-Tauheed, Masjid-e-Asghar and Masjid-e-Ahmed Ibne Humble on the day that marked the end of the holy month. Ultimate sufferers are, however, those living in areas controlled by federal agencies, as they find no one to own them in terms of municipal obligations.
KPT Ground, being property of the Karachi Port Trust, is one such example that is awaiting maintenance for last several years what to talk of pools of rainwater that did not allow the worshippers to offer Eid prayers this year. It is for long time that rains exposed serious flaws in the rain management plans of the city government as well as that of federal agencies in their respective jurisdictions.
But the problem lies somewhere else. 'Unity of Command' is the major reason which the previous Haq Parast-led city administration had long been calling for to address such problems. The CDGK, administering only 33 percent of the city's territory, had persistently been crying that it could not deliver until it gets full control of the metropolis.
Over a dozen federal agencies including Cantonment Boards, Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Railways, Pakistan International Airlines, Port Qasim Authority, etc, control rest of the city. "There are 13 agencies which... control municipal services of the metropolis," City Nazim Mustafa Kamal had told media after the devastating cyclone of June 23, 2007.
Nasreen Jalil, the then Naib Nazim, was blunter in saying: "The city government controls only 33 percent area of the city while other agencies should be made accountable for the rest." She was talking to Business Recorder after June 2007 rains.
This dispute has most of the time rendered the city government's multimillion rupees "Rain and Flood Management" plans useless to serve the purpose of ensuring "safety of the people and property" during rainy seasons, particularly monsoon. Despite pre-rains tall claims, the city administration had failed to prevent its 'resolutely-devised' Rain Emergency Plan from becoming a failure during the deadly downpour of July last year. On 20th July 2009 the death toll in rain-related incidents topped 43.
Now it is believed to be quiet normal if the rains make their way to play havoc with the city infrastructure with many of the roads, even the newly-built, either caving in or partially washing away. Overflowing gutters, risking lives of the pedestrians and bikers, can be found making mockery of the city government's tall claims on a strong drainage system. Pools of rainwater standing on almost all major thoroughfares of the city have always been putting to question performance of the municipal agencies after every downpour.
Broken trees, electric poles and heavy signboards can always be seen lying on the city roads and awaiting removal. M.A Jinnah Road, Marry Weather Tower, Shahra-e-Liaquat, Guru Mandir, Shahra-e-Faisal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Board Office Chowrangi, Aisha Manzil, Sohrab Goth and Liaquatabad II are some of the major points, which usually remain underwater for days after rain.
Low-lying areas like Essa Nagri, Manzoor Colony, Afridi Colony, etc, also fall in the same category. Potholes that can easily be seen in the city roads also create doubts about the quality of the construction material. The mud-producing ditches-like big holes across the metropolis not only make the roads slippery, but also pose a serious threat of accidents for the speedy vehicles, especially motorcycles.
Drivers, particularly the bikers, have to be extra careful at I I Chundrigar Road where a big pothole in front of Galaxy Money Exchanger has long been there to cause any unfortunate incident. "These entrenchments are producing mud and have turned the roads slippery," said Akbar Khan, a biker who commutes through M A Jinnah Road. Such complaints give way to questions like where is the heavy machinery the CDGK had imported at the exorbitant cost of Rs 750 million for draining out the rainwater.
According to former City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, his government had handed de-watering or suction pumps to each of the city's 18 Town Municipal Administrations. All said and done, the government would have to ensure an integrated and practicable administrative plan to lessen problems of the violence-hit people of this city.