Karachi:
On Wednesday, the mayor of Karachi, Murtaza Wahab, said that the recent downpour in the city was part of the wider challenge of climate change, which had also caused destruction in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir in recent days.
Addressing a press conference, he said that global warming and climate change were a reality and an administrative test worldwide, citing situations in New York, Dubai and Mumbai.
The mayor said the heavy rains had left residents encountered in difficulty, criticism and political points exacerbating the situation more. He noted that Karachi’s rainwater drains had only 40 mm capacity. “When precipitation exceeds this amount, the consequences become obvious,” he said.
Read: The second rain spell strikes Karachi
“Yesterday, Karachi also witnessed torrential rains,” he said, adding that two spells hit the city on the same day, with the first start of the morning. He said that the drainage efforts were launched once the rain has calmed down and the conditions on the main roads had improved at 12:30 p.m.
A second spell struck around 1 p.m., continuing constantly until the beginning of Wednesday morning, according to Wahab. Manghopir received 235 mm of rain, while more than 170 mm were recorded throughout the city in 12 hours.
He urged citizens to avoid unnecessary trips and warned that the greatest challenge during rescue operations was to maintain the flow of traffic.
