Rains cause collapse of drainage system, dull commercial activities

Intermittent monsoon showers since Tuesday evening have led to the virtual collapse of the drainage system and paralysed of all business, economic and commercial activities, while more rainfall during the next 24-hours were forecast by the Met Office on Wednesday. Rainwater accumulated on roads due to chocked drains and gutters and large piles of garbage strewn across the city added to public misery and disrupted business and commercial activities, traders told Business Recorder.
The accumulated rain water has damaged roads and created heavy potholes throwing traffic off-gear on several major roads across the city. "The provincial government once again ignored trader's warnings regarding civic preparations prior to the monsoon rains," Chairman Sindh Tajir Ittehad, Jamil Paracha said.
"Despite early warnings of monsoon rains by the MET office, the Sindh government did not heed the weather reports. The rains caused a complete collapse of the drainage system and sewerage water soon inundated the roads around all major markets, bazaars and commercial centers in the city, bringing a drastic drop in Eid sales," said Jamil Paracha. He also added that power outages shortly after the rain further dulled the Eid sales. A Seasonal low over north Balochistan and penetrating in the southern parts are likely to continue during next 24 hours, the MET office said.
Maximum rainfall recorded at Karachi Airport was 43mm followed by Nazimabad 32mm and Gulstan-e-Johar 24mm. In other parts of the province, Benazirabad received 40mm and Hyderabad 18mm rains. MET office has forecast more rains accompanied by strong gusty winds for Quetta, Zhob, Kalat, Sibbi, Nasirabad, Makran, Sukkur, Larkana, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Benazirabad and Karachi divisions over the next 24-hours.
In the next 48-hours the MET office forecast mainly hot and humid weather across the country during the day. "Rains accompanied with strong gusty winds, dust and thunder storms are likely to hit Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Malakand, Hazara, Peshawar, Kohat, Mardan, Kalat, Makran and Mirpurkhas, FATA, Islamabad and Kashmir.