Talking to the media during a visit to flood-affected areas of Karachi on Wednesday night, he said the Sindh government has not allotted any land for permanent settlements on riverbeds.

He said that blocking the path of a river is like challenging nature, adding that constructing parking lots on green belts in cantonment areas also created problems in water drainage.

Rejecting media criticism on damage to the newly built Malir Expressway, Murad Ali Shah said that the part of the expressway that was washed away in the rain was still under construction. It is not unusual if the river displaced soil during construction.

Meanwhile, the rainwater from Thado Dam that accumulated in the Saadi Town area could not be drained. Streets, neighbourhoods, and roads remained submerged, while water has also entered homes, and electricity has been out for several hours, causing distress to residents.

In a related development, the bodies of four individuals who drowned in Thado Dam have been recovered, while the rescue operation to find three missing persons will resume today.