As Sindh braced for rough weather, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday said “rain/thunderstorm with few heavy falls” were likely in Karachi and various parts of the province today.
On Thursday, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had imposed a rain emergency in the province and declared Friday to be a half-day for all government and private offices in Karachi.
The decision was taken in the light of the Sindh Pakistan Disaster Management Authority’s (PDMA) warning the previous day of a potential urban flooding situation.
According to the latest advisory issued by the Met Department today, “rain/thunderstorms with few heavy falls” are expected in northern parts of the province from Feb 29 till March 2. Similar weather conditions are likely to prevail in the rest of the province from March 1.
“Heavy falls may generate urban flooding in low-lying areas. Fishermen of Balochistan are advised not to venture into deep sea till March 1 while those of Sindh are advised to remain careful during the forecast period,” it said.
According to the PMD, a “westerly wave is prevailing over Balochistan and adjoining Sindh”.
According to the PMD’s weather forecast, under the wave’s influence, “rain/thunderstorm with few heavy falls [were] likely in Kambar Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Larkana, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur and Dadu till tomorrow morning”.
It made the same prediction for Jamshoro, Thatta, Sujawal, Tharparker, Badin, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar districts and Karachi division but only for today, adding that “mainly dry weather is expected in most districts of the province” tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in its rainfall report, the PMD stated that Jacobabad received 12mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours while Larkana received 3mm and Mohenjo Daro only got traces.
Sindh CM monitors dewatering arrangements during surprise visits
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah made surprise visits to check dewater machinery in the low-lying areas and to check the attendance of officers at the New Secretariat.
CM Shah visited low-lying areas in District South, including underpasses, Khaliquz Zaman Road, Aiwan-e-Saddar Road, the road between Sindh Secretariat and High Court, II Chundrigar Road, and other areas.
During his visit, he noticed that in some areas, the machinery of the water board and other suction machines was not installed. As a result, he directed Karachi Commissioner Saleem Rajput to ensure that the machinery was deployed and to report back to him.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said that 53 suction vehicles have been moved to “various locations for clearing rainwater as and when required”.
In a post on X, Wahab said, “Apart from traffic police, wardens have also been placed on major arteries to help ease the flow of traffic.”
Commissioner Rajput said the administration and the relevant departments were “fully prepared” to prevent damages from the rain, as per CM Shah’s instructions.
In a statement, he urged the public to avoid heading out of their homes unnecessarily and advised them to stay away from electricity wires and poles.
The commissioner further advised citizens to have plenty of fuel in their vehicles and not to park them near power poles. He also urged motorcycle drivers to wear helmets.
Central District Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zeeshan Shafiq Siddiqui ordered the police to remain alert in case of any emergency during the rains.
In a statement, SSP Siddiqui said, “Divisional superintendents of police and station house officers should remain in their areas.” He also ordered all officers to oblige the constables to remain stationed at their designated points and help the citizens in need.
The SSP issued directives for the evacuation of families stuck in the rain to safe locations and to also help the traffic police in ensuring a smooth traffic flow. The officer further ordered that additional policemen be deployed at important locations.
