Monsoon scares dwellers of low-lying areas

28 Aug, 2006

Hundreds of thousands of Karachiites living in low-lying areas, especially near the banks of Malir and Lyari Rivers are living under a constant danger of inundation, as the Met Office has forecast that monsoon season might extend till September 15, 2006.
People living near banks of these rivers, rainwater Nullahs and other low-lying areas are worried about the hazardous and miserable situation, if the heavy rains again lashed the city. They fear en masse flooding of their houses and large-scale loss of life and property.
The recent heavy rains have proved a nightmare for citizens regarding snap response of civic agencies to come for rescue of distressed people. These rains resulted in entry of rain and gutter water into houses of almost all low-lying localities of the metropolis. The mostly effected areas included those localities near banks of Malir and Lyari rivers, as well as, major Nullahs.
These area people spent sleepless nights during last heavy showers and drained out rain and sewerage water from their houses with buckets. They complained that no relief camps were set to shift them during inundation of their localities.
After the forecast of extended monsoon, many of them are planning to shift to safer places in case heavy rains again lashed the city.
They demanded of the provincial and city government authorities to take proper steps to save their localities from inundation, and chalk out snap rescue and relief operations in their areas in case heavy rains again flooded them.

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