Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has declared a public holiday in Karachi for today (Wednesday) in view of unprecedented rains which lashed the city on Tuesday and severely affected normal life.

Most of the city’s roads are still submerged after Tuesday’s heavy rains. Vehicles and motorcycles remained stranded on Shara-e-Faisal, New Town, Karsaz, Saddar, Empress Market and other areas till late at night.

Citizens faced severe difficulties in reaching home last night due to the accumulation of water on the roads.

Streets become water ponds

Following the recent rains, the water drainage and electricity supply systems in Karachi areas have been disrupted.

Water has accumulated on many roads, while damaged vehicles can be seen parked along roads.

Water still remains on Sharea Faisal, M A Jinnah Road (Numaish intersection), Karsaz, Natha Khan Road, Sindh Assembly road, and Arts Council.

Dozens of broken-down vehicles are parked on Natha Khan Road, while some streets between Karsaz and Natha Khan are also submerged.

Drainage work is underway on the main highways through dewatering pumps.

Situation improving: Mayor

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the situation is improving, but advised citizens to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, the electricity supply remained suspended in many parts of the city.

Areas like Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Abu-ul-Hassan Isfahani Road, and Model Colony have been without power for several hours. In Model Colony, power could not be restored since 10am yesterday.

Internet and mobile services are affected

Due to data connectivity issues, users of PTCL and Ufone are facing severe difficulties.

According to a PTCL spokesperson, teams are working diligently to restore services as soon as possible and apologise to users for the inconvenience caused.

Karachi recorded 245 mm of rain on Tuesday. According to the Meteorological Department, the highest rainfall of 170mm was recorded in Gulshan-e-Hadeed.

Jinnah Terminal received 153 mm of rain, while the Nazimabad area received 150mm.

Sindh CM visits affected areas

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah later visited several areas of Karachi to review the water drainage work in the affected areas.

He was briefed about the drainage work on Sharea Faisal, where water had been cleared, though some broken-down vehicles and debris remained.

The chief minister instructed the police to ensure the safety of vehicles parked on the road and directed the DIG Traffic to remove the vehicles stranded at the Karsaz intersection.

Murad Ali Shah also visited the Old Vegetable Market, New Town, Kashmir Road, Empress Market, Saddar and Zeb-un-Nisa Street and directed the Water Board and municipal authorities to expedite the cleaning and drainage process.

Pak Army joins rescue efforts

Following the rains, the Pakistan Army and Sindh Rangers have joined the rescue work in Karachi.

They played a key role in restoring traffic flow on major highways, while also helping clear stranded vehicles.

The Pakistan Army’s mechanical team repaired several damaged vehicles stranded on the roads, making them operational, which improved traffic flow and alleviated the difficulties faced by the citizens.