Karachi is currently experiencing torrential rains for the past several hours.
What’s happening in your area? Do you have electricity? Are the phones still working? What are the conditions of roads and other infrastructure in your part of the city? Dawn.com invites its readers based in the city to share their experiences.
Photo by Hasaan Haider/Dawn.com
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
During the last rain in Karachi, a month and half back I was there and went through both enjoying the downpour and almost sailing on roads at places over one and half feet under water, with under passes like pools of water, resulting in traffic jams lasting hours. With billions of rupees sunk in infrastructure development, the contractors don’t build adequate drainage to take care of simple downpour, possibly all that money goes to line the deep pockets of contract awarding bosses and adding to the bottom line of contractors themselves. Right now I’m in San Jose and last two weeks I was in Canada, visiting Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City and Toronto, there was rain all the four but not any signs of scenes in Karachi.
Of course both factors, big resources and fair application of the same.
The drainage system is getting better. Even in places like underpass did not get filled up with rain water during the rains in Karachi. But I guess there bigger problems in Karachi which disturb the Karachi-ite like the security and illegal wedding halls behind people homes.
The drainage system is getting better. Even in places like underpass did not get filled up with rain water during the rains in Karachi.
Worrying about parents & relatives is very commendable. It might be a better idea to pay a short visit to see how they are, if you can, of course.
Change your network dear now………..
I had the privilege of growing up in Karachi, then going back to live there. The most warm hearted, courteous, hospitable people live there. You can only appreciate it when you leave it. Karachi taught us not to take the basic necessities of life for granted. Something the West is also now realising…they have power cuts in Louisiana USA, people have generators in their homes as it is a regular feature here when the hurricanes come to be without electricity and water. Karachi is a city of culture and with all it’s problems I still believe, its the best city in the world.
I lived my childhood in Karachi and enjoyed the rain, played on streets just like the pics on dawn, but since rain is Allah’s Rehmat to all, its also Zehmat for poor people whose houses get washed out by flood.
I now live in US and I am sure people have heard of Katrina in 05 when it hit Louisiana. It flooded in Tennessee in Nashville last month and 12 people died in one day, and the flood in Georgia. People in Karachi are blessed for not being in the path of mother nature’s disasters.
I video taped areas of Karachi and interviewed people in June the day cyclone Phet was due to hit Karachi. City govt was doing a good job in taking bill boards down expecting the worst and hoping for the best. Had cyclone Phet hit Karachi with 100 mph plus wind, it would have been a disaster of a highest magnitude unimaginable for Karachites. Most people I interviewed had a strong believe that Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s mazar is acting as deterrent and saving Karachi from high winds and coastal waves. The story goes like this”
A famous legend regarding Abdullah Shah Ghazi says that once when the sea was rough and fishermen could not go out to sea, they went to Abdullah Shah Ghazi and asked him to pray for the sea to remain calm.
Abdullah Shah Ghazi took his eating bowl and submerged it into the sea water and curled the bowl by pressing it from the sides, enclosing the water inside.
He then said to the sea “you have been misbehaving quite a lot lately!”, the water is then said to have calmed down. Many people believe that the sea is said to have moved far away because of Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s warning.
Posh area residents are having fun, whereas cries of poor residents are not heard anywhere. Its only Me, Me, Me.
We were more anxious of the Cyclone than the Budget, the rains are a normal part of the Karachi Life, come on, if everything is all right in Karachi, what will we crib on.
Oh yes, saw the beautiful rainbow after the rains, a promise from above of His mercy and kindness.
I really missing Karachi, here in Edinburgh its rain but with mazaaaa !!! Life without light/water/jammed traffic…….is like very simple !!! Enjoy these days my friends, I am sure you may say the same once you leave your country !!!!
Indeed you are right Mr. khan
Come back dear from Edinburgh then enjoy Karachi’s life without light, water and jammed traffic. now life is not so simple in Karachi my dear friend.
Having recently lived in Karachi for 13 months (returned to Australia only 3 months ago) I remember living in Clifton 5 last year and not having electricty and water for 6 days.
Although ‘having a shower (washing) and going to the toilet was ‘difficult’ we always kept a smile on our face – this is a wonderful characteristic that people in Karachi all have.
My thoughts are with the many friends I was lucky to meet while living in Karachi.
Don’t cry dear….You had to go KESC office for complain. They cannot restore without complain. ok….
I just love Karachi, no matter what. Rains or no rains. Been away from my old city since 1986 and hence the longing to be back is too much to handle. However, I am told that I may be a miss fit now since life and people have all changed – more materialistic and oblivious to the other peoples problems. Sabb chalta hai – attitude. Still living abroad in the comfort of luxury is no life. The desire to be able to contribute to the welfare of people and community is far more meaningful and personally rewarding than watching from faraway as mere audience. Wish my city all the best and so too the people who have been much stronger than I to have lived it. 24 years is a long long period. All the best!!
Salam and hi to all.
I can understand the agony and pain which all the Karachities are having for not having electricity – I am living outside Pakistan but I know how painful it is without electricity as I lived most part of my life in Karachi – however, I am thankful to ALL MIGHTY ALLAH that PHET cyclone has changed its direction and Karachi is now out of Danger. Although, there is not much to enjoy currently, as far as Paki news is concerned, after this MIRACLE my faith has increased manifold; one day our prayers will come true and Pakistan will come out with all the mess it is having. INSHALLAH.
WE the residents of the Clifton Block IV request the Clifton Cantonment to please please finish the development of one road side (the road infront of sea linking boat basin with Sea view infront of Chappal Ocean Centre) which is lingering on since last three years. This road which should have been the show case of Karachi and famous attraction for toursists is in a pathetic situation due to neglect and corruption of Clifton Cantonment. This is despite the fact that the area is not far from Bilawal House the private residence of President Asif Ali Zardari! We wish we were under territorial jursidiction of Municipal Nazim instead of this corrupt Clifton Cantonment which is again a bad example of Defence forces in civilian matters. I would request Dawn newspaper to use their influence to help us in comlpetion of unending project which is an agony for residents especially in rain.
You people dont have to tell your jobs or how rich or poor you are… just tell about the weather!!! Karachi is a monsoon region it will receive rains every monsoon. rains is karachi are stormy they are not light as many people say eventhough they live here for years. Latest GFS Model predicts another Cyclone named “Giri” that may hit (if cyclone forms) Gujarat via Karachi.
I am very happy and definitely thankful to Allah that the tropical cyclone passed without causing havoc. I am away from Karachi but I keep on coming on and off. It really is very nice to read the comments of those people that are not complaining of the troubless but are trying to enjoy the weather. When the going gets tough the tough gets going.
The more trees planted better for these types of rains. Electrocutions cannot be avoided.
is that true?
I live in Phase IV DHA where electricity has been out since Saturday night and still not restored. What’s more painful than not having electricity is that in such moments of crisis, none of the agencies such as KESC, CBC or DHA have the courtesy to pick up the phone and let people know about the actual situation. I’ve been calling each of these 3 agencies since yesterday but to no avail. At this point, not only are we out of electricity, but also of water, both for drinking and other purposes. Being the highest tax-paying residential society, whom do we take our complaints to?
Good to see so many well wishers of Karachi. It is a bit ironic that most of these posts are coming from outside of Pakistan (even I reside outside of it), cant blame our local citizens for this, those poor guys may not have the electricity to turn on their PCS and laptops.
I remember the electricity not being available when I there, it wasn’t so bad then or maybe we just didn’t “feel” it, or we had more patience, or were more resilient as a nation. Every rain meant a day of enjoyment, with the entire neighborhood joining in, every electricity outage meant more crickets and every strike meant a good day at home with the whole family. I remember walking from Karsaz all the way to North Nazimabad in 2003 when rain had caused havoc in the city, no one I knew was angry and everyone enjoyed what happened telling how they were stranded in Shahrah-e-Faisal for six hours or who came later back from work or who walked to most or how long was power out in their neighborhoods.
I hope and pray to Allah to guide us through and give us the courage and patience to face these challenges we are facing as a nation, and Insha’Allah we will come out stronger and wiser. God Bless Pakistan!
No: Light
No: Zong Coverage
and our street is full of water in dha phase 7 Khyaban-e-Rahat
huh! Life is so jammed
WOW!!! Mehroz, your little world must have gotten topsy-turvy with no Zong coverage!
no Zong coverage! that’s the funniest one haahaaaha……..lol…….
why couldn’t i think of that……..
Being away from Karachi, I missed every thing. However, thank God, who provided lovely weather in Adhi well 12….. enjoy
monsoons normally do bring relief from the stifling heat but other civic issues remain. PECHS Block 2 near Tariq Road and Nursery was without electricity since early hours of Saturday around 0130 and restored almost 12 hours later
I live in DHA Phase VI – Electricity went off saturday night at 2 am and is not back till now… while we all spent sunday enjoying the rain, the weather and not to forget one of the most beautiful rainbows that I saw for the first time with my 4 year old daughter and of-course not to forget the drive to the seaside where we enjoyed some absolutely great sky views – we do need electricity – the freezer is melting
– money wasting….
Rain, monsoonic rain, torrential rain, heavy rain, rain like Cheera Poonji rain. What-so-ever one like to term one may call, there is no-tax. But rain is rain, it will come again and again. It may or, may not a pain ! It depends that what is your drainage system ? If drainage system is sound and perfect and without any clog then its alright !! But drainage and dredging system shall never be alright because the ministers, MNAs, MPAs, secretaries, contractors are alright and happy in financial drainage systems right from the days-of-1948, Period.
Having left Karachi in 81, I hope you guys are alright. I miss my hometown.
It hardly rain’s in Karachi and when ever it rains it seems like that some enormous storm hit it by. My point is that basically I live in New York and it rains like every weekends after receiving that much rain nothing happens even a tree leaf is not shed. Here in Karachi If miracle happens I mean rain If it is raining it seems to be like complete disaster, for instance the road look like some canal where speed boats can be used. As we all know what happens when it rains in Karachi.