Pakistan, situated in a temperate zone, has a regular monsoon season, receiving several inches of rainfall every year, which sustains its agrarian economy and replenishes water reservoirs. Unfortunately the country’s major cities including Karachi and Lahore have never had a reputation for being able to handle the rains well, and the unprecedented rainfall this year magnified major flaws in city civic infrastructure.
Karachi, which powers the country’s economy, is plagued by deep-rooted vulnerabilities which compromise its resilience, affecting the quality of life and safety of residents. The city is home to one of the Asia’s biggest slums – Orangi Town, more than 50% of the city is unplanned, brittle civic infrastructure collapses under the burden of dilapidated roads, inadequate solid waste collection, a choked and ineffective drainage system and encroachments, with all of these contributing to Karachi being ranked 5th lowest on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) global city rankings for livability.
During the recent rains, this thriving city of millions came to a grinding halt because of urban flooding which left large parts of the city submerged for days after the rains. Perhaps one of the most significant and critical impacts of the rains, were the accidents caused by collapsing roofs, open manholes, submerged roads, water entering houses, and compromised electricity infrastructure.
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Lack of awareness about safety measures that could be taken during the rains as well as general apathy on the part of the citizens when it comes to self-preservation was seen when a family chose to swim in the overflowing Hub nadi following a rain prediction which resulted in tragic loss of several family members life. Civil defense organizations were conspicuous by their absence and the city and district administrations were also seen to be more reactive, rather than preventive in their approach. Despite calls to declare an emergency, there was no adequate response. An exercise in finger-pointing ensued as different public sector organizations scrambled to place blame.
While much could have done to prepare Karachi for rains, and the impact would have been far greater if all organisations had played their due roles; in such circumstances there were some private sector organizations that took a proactive and preemptive approach in the build-up to the monsoon season. K-Electric, Pakistan’s only vertically integrated power company and only private power distributor was seen reaching out at all levels, and doing its bit to increase awareness about rain safety within homes as well as when out on the streets. This included an advertising campaign on various mediums including print and electronic. Social media, which is increasingly popular among people of all ages with rising smartphone penetration was also extensively used by the power utility. KE employees were also seen engaging with students and community leaders imparting knowledge about preventive measures during rains, as well as the safe use of electrical appliances, with particular emphasis on the safety of children. According to one of their videos the utility claims to have already reached thousands of students and pledges to reach 25,000 more.
This is commendable, but sadly, the effort appears to have gone unnoticed and unappreciated for the most part. More private sector players need to come forward and emulate this demonstration of corporate social responsibility. Government schools in particular need to be made a part of these campaigns. This could be the start of something really big and impactful even if just 50% of the students of the city are engaged and educated about personal and communal safety and our responsibility as citizens of this city. We as a nation need to encourage such initiatives and must promote the idea of prevention when it comes to accidents and unforeseen tragic incidents.
—Press Release
