The Sindh High Court has issued contempt of court notices to the administrator of the Defence Housing Authority and the Clifton Cantonment Board CEO in the Karachi rains case.
On Tuesday, the Karachi court heard the petition filed against the DHA and CBC for failing to provide relief to people and clear water from roads following the August 2020 rains. The monsoon spell left large swathes of the city inundated for days.
“What measures have you taken for the improvement of the drainage system in the area,” the bench asked, expressing displeasure over the performance of the authorities.
“The 2021 monsoon rains are just around the corner,” it pointed out. The court issued notices to the national and provincial disaster management authorities as well. It has instructed them to submit their responses within 10 days.
In September 2020, DHA residents protested outside the CBC office after their houses were submerged in heavy monsoon rains on August 27.
Most areas didn’t have power for over 70 hours and some, such as Khayaban-e-Bukhari and Mujahid, remained flooded.Following this, the CBC filed a case against the protesters.
In response, the DHA residents filed a petition in the court challenging the registration of the FIR.
It said the residents faced many difficulties because of the monsoon rains, adding that there was water outside their homes for many days and they suffered many losses after their possessions were washed away.
The monsoon rains wreaked havoc in Karachi last year. More than 50 people died, roads were flooded with water, flight operations were cancelled and an emergency was imposed across the city.
