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KARACHI: With the looming forecast of rain in Karachi, residents of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) are voicing their apprehensions, drawing from past experiences of infrastructure issues during adverse weather conditions.
According to a report in a local English Daily, many residents are expressing fear and concern due to ongoing roadwork, creating circumstances that make even normal rains unsettling for them. The forecasted heavy rain accompanied by thunder intensifies their worries.
The president of the Clifton Defence Community (CDC) highlighted the vulnerability felt by the residents during rain in DHA. “Even normal rain is scary for us. It too can give us misery,” he stated.
Concerns are magnified by the numerous open ditches scattered across the area, attributed to various construction projects such as storm-water drains, laying new Sui Southern Gas Company lines, or other utility installations.
The last rain, just a few weeks ago, resulted in a car falling into one such ditch, emphasizing the danger posed by concealed excavations during rainfall.
Residents have reached out to DHA and Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) for solutions. While CBC claims readiness for rain-related emergencies with minimal fencing and plastic tape in place, residents argue that these measures are inadequate, especially considering the predicted heavy rainfall.
Husayn Abbas, a Phase 7 extension resident, remarked, “Other institutions are taking precautions and sharing emergency center numbers, but CBC appears unprepared. They are not disseminating awareness messages on social media, focusing solely on cosmetic works. DHA’s business number, 1092, is known to residents, but its effectiveness remains uncertain.”
The director of municipal affairs at CDC, Mohammad Ali, emphasized that residents’ real concerns are not being addressed by DHA. They are calling for the establishment of rescue camps, deployment of machines to pump out water, and assistance in pulling out stuck cars.
Arshad Hussain, a resident of Phase 5, concluded, “The real concern is not being addressed by DHA. We want to see proactive measures to handle potential disasters, such as setting up rescue camps and deploying machinery. At this point, all we can do is hope that the rain doesn’t occur, as disaster seems imminent if it does.”
Recalling a few years back when DHA Karachi faced significant flooding, leaving residents without electricity and fresh water for days, the current worries are grounded in the community’s past struggles. Residents had staged a protest demonstration outside the DHA office in response to the challenges they faced during that period.
