Terming huge losses caused by torrential rains as ‘national disaster’, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday urged the centre to help the provincial government in coping with the rain emergency. Addressing a press conference in Karachi today, Murad Ali Shah confirmed that as many as 80 people have died during the recent monsoon rains so far in Sindh. He maintained rain-related incidents claimed 47 lives in Karachi, 10 in Hyderabad, 6 in Larkana and 5 in Mirpur Khas. He maintained that Karachi had received record-breaking rains in the current month. The chief minister said that 604 millimetres of rain was recorded in Karachi during August. CM Murad Ali Shah said that he had directed all the commissioners to monitor the situation and assess losses to traders in urban areas. The chief minister said that he also sought a report of deranges to crops. Thursday’s record-breaking torrential downpour in Karachi had left a trail of destruction, leading to the deaths of more than a dozen people and playing havoc with the port city’s ill-maintained and rickety infrastructure. The city’s major thoroughfares and low-lying areas had remained submerged, reeling from the devastation caused by the rain. Power remained suspended in many areas even after 24 hours. Denizens had complained of disruption in their internet and cellular services. Moreover, Murad Ali Shah on Friday visited rain-hit areas of Karachi to inspect rescue operation after rain inundated different areas of the city. The CM Sindh visited Nursery on Shahrah-e-Faisal, Nagan Chowrangi and other parts of the city. During the visit, the CM directed managing director of Karachi and Sewerage Water Board to review the master plan regarding dealing with rain-related incidents and submit report as early as possible. Several areas of Karachi are expected to receive heavy downpour in afternoon today. The city of lights was devastated after receiving unprecedented rains on Thursday as many areas are still flooded with rainwater. Almost all the major roads of the city including II Chungrigarh Road, University Road, Shahrae Faisal were inundated with no sign of them being cleared anytime soon.
