Encroachments alongside rivers, nullahs reason behind urban flooding: CM

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Wednesday that his government, along with elected representatives and civic institutions, is working around the clock to safeguard citizens as heavy rains and rising river levels pose fresh challenges across the province.

Speaking to the media during his visit to different areas of Karachi, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah appreciated the efforts of Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab and Deputy Mayor Salman Murad, noting that they remained active all night in the service of the people. “At present, provincial ministers and senior officers of the administration are with me in the field,” he added.

Shah expressed deep sorrow over the loss of four lives in Malir during the night, and said that rescue teams had saved several people trapped near the Korangi Causeway in the morning. He appealed to citizens to strictly follow government advisories. “I salute all institutions, including elected representatives, the administration, PDMA, Rescue 1122, and others who worked in close coordination to manage the situation effectively,” he said.

Highlighting the scale of rainfall, the chief minister stated that heavy showers were also reported in Hyderabad, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Jamshoro, and Dadu. He noted that small dams in Tharparkar had filled up, which brought relief to local communities. Shah added that while the government had prepared for a 900,000 cusecs flood scenario, over 500,000 cusecs of water had already reached Guddu Barrage, prompting the establishment of relief camps and health facilities. “So far, more than 5,000 people have received treatment at government health camps, and PDMA’s mobile hospitals are also on site,” he said. He added that the government had completed vaccination of over one million livestock to protect rural livelihoods.

The Chief Minister stressed that encroachments along rivers and nullahs were a major reason for urban flooding. “No government has permitted construction of permanent housing societies in riverbeds, but blocking the natural course of rivers is against nature itself, and unfortunately, that has been done here,” he remarked.

On the broader political and humanitarian response, Murad Shah said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had visited Punjab, Guddu and Sukkur, and immediately reached out to international organisations for assistance. He emphasised that while Sindh was managing the situation, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were facing greater challenges, for which the federal government had been advised on relief strategies.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while speaking in South Punjab or Sukkur, emphasised that the government must immediately reach out to international organisations. He recalled that when Bilawal was Foreign Minister, he had promptly engaged global institutions not only for relief but also for rehabilitation, and they had responded.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025