KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday placed the provincial administration on high alert and directed all relevant departments to strengthen emergency preparedness and response measures as heavy monsoon rains continued to affect several districts of the province, resulting in loss of life, localised flooding and damage to infrastructure.
Presiding over a high-level review meeting at the PDMA office, the Chief Minister assessed the latest weather forecasts, rainfall data, field reports and preparedness arrangements. He underscored that safeguarding human lives and ensuring uninterrupted public services remained the government’s foremost responsibility during the ongoing monsoon spell.
The meeting was attended by Adviser to the Chief Minister on Rehabilitation Gianchand Israni, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Rehabilitation Mustafa Shaikh, Secretary Irrigation Zarif Khero, DG PDMA Salman Shah and other senior officials. Commissioners of Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions, deputy commissioners from rain-affected districts and the HESCO chief participated through video link.
Taking serious notice of the absence of the Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Umerkot from the district during the ongoing emergency situation, the Chief Minister ordered his immediate suspension and directed the Local Government Department to ensure that all officers remain stationed in their respective areas during the monsoon emergency.
Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah told the Chief Minister that he has been holding meetings with all divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, municipal, PDMA, and irrigation officers to keep them alert and ready to handle the weather emergency. He added that all necessary machinery and relief goods have already been provided to the district administration so it can assist affected people if needed.
Weather outlook
Briefing the meeting on weather conditions, Adviser Rehabilitation Gianchand Israni informed the Chief Minister that moderate to heavy rainfall was expected in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions over the next few days, with cumulative rainfall likely to range between 20 and 60 millimetres.
Light rainfall is expected in most other districts of Sindh, while Karachi is likely to receive only isolated light showers. However, weather experts warned that localised cloud development could still result in rainfall in some parts of the city.
Heavy rainfall across Southern areas
DG PDMA Salman Shah told the CM that several districts had received heavy to very heavy rainfall during the last 24 hours.
Among the highest recorded rainfalls were Umerkot Taluka (169 mm), Kunri (149 mm), Kaloi (140 mm), Diplo (135 mm), Kingri Ghulam Muhammad (133 mm), Latifabad (114 mm), Hussain Bux Mari (111 mm), Mirpurkhas City (111 mm), Mithi (106 mm), Dhali (104 mm), Hyderabad Rural (93 mm) and Hyderabad City (89 mm).
The CM noted that rainfall in several areas had crossed the threshold of heavy and very heavy rain, necessitating heightened vigilance by district administrations.
Eight dead, eight injured
Reviewing the impact of the rains, the Chief Minister was informed that eight people had lost their lives and eight others sustained injuries in rain-related incidents across the province.
According to the district-wise assessment, Tharparkar reported six deaths and six injuries. Of the fatalities, three were caused by lightning strikes, one by drowning and two by accidental falls into pits. Umerkot reported one death due to drowning and two injuries, while Badin reported one death following the collapse of a house roof.
Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives, the Chief Minister directed deputy commissioners to provide immediate assistance to the affected families, ensure compensation in accordance with government policy and submit detailed incident reports.
Mirwah Channel breaches plugged in Badin
Secretary Irrigation informed the CM that two breaches, measuring approximately 15 feet and 8 feet, had developed in the Mirwah Channel near Seerani in Badin district early Sunday morning.
The breaches inundated around 200 houses before emergency teams reached the area. However, prompt action by the Irrigation Department and local administration successfully plugged both breaches and brought the situation under control.
The Chief Minister directed the Irrigation Department to maintain continuous surveillance of canals, distributaries, embankments and other vulnerable structures, particularly in districts receiving heavy rainfall.
Hyderabad division receives nearly one metre of rainfall
Commissioner Hyderabad Fayaz Abbasi briefed the meeting on the monsoon situation across Hyderabad Division and reported widespread rainfall across all nine districts.
According to the divisional report, Hyderabad Division received a cumulative 971 millimetres of rainfall between August 1 and August 2, with an average rainfall of 27.07 millimetres.
Hyderabad district recorded the highest cumulative rainfall at 360 millimetres, followed by Badin (212 mm), Tando Allahyar (102 mm), Tando Muhammad Khan (99 mm), Sujawal (80 mm), Thatta (55 mm), Matiari (49 mm), Jamshoro (9 mm) and Dadu (5 mm).
Within Hyderabad district, the highest rainfall was recorded in Latifabad (114 mm), followed by Hyderabad Rural (93 mm), Hyderabad City (89 mm) and Qasimabad (64 mm).
Commissioner Fayaz Abbasi informed the meeting that no loss of life, crop damage or major property damage had been officially reported from the division through the CM Portal despite the heavy downpour.
However, two isolated incidents were reported. In Hyderabad city, a portion of the historic Ganga Ram Nivas building near Mukhi House collapsed onto an adjoining street. The debris was cleared by the administration, and no casualties were reported.
In Tando Muhammad Khan, the roof of two rooms of a residential house was damaged due to rainfall. The district administration immediately provided tents and emergency assistance to the affected family.
Umerkot drainage operations underway
Commissioner Mirpurkhas Shahmir Bhutto informed the Chief Minister that all three major disposal stations in Umerkot were fully operational and functioning effectively. He said continuous pumping was underway to drain accumulated rainwater from affected areas, and the water level was gradually receding.
The Commissioner added that dedicated revenue officials had been deployed at Golimar, Chorr Road and Vehro Road disposal stations to ensure round-the-clock monitoring and supervision. He informed the meeting that all deployed officials, along with municipal staff, were present at their respective sites and overseeing drainage operations to facilitate the swift removal of rainwater and prevent urban flooding.
Expressing satisfaction over the ongoing efforts, the Chief Minister directed the district administration to maintain continuous monitoring until the situation returned to normal and ensure that all disposal stations remained fully functional.
Karachi preparedness reviewed
Reviewing Karachi’s preparedness, the Chief Minister instructed Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, district administrations, town municipal authorities and other civic agencies to ensure that drainage systems remain fully functional and that all machinery required for dewatering is kept operational.
Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab informed the meeting that 10 heavy-duty pumping units had been deployed at key vulnerable locations, including Nipa Chowrangi, Drig Road Underpass, Qayyumabad, Falaknaz, Native Jetty, KPT Underpass, Submarine Underpass, the Sindh Assembly vicinity, Nazimabad Underpass and 4-K Chowrangi.
To prevent disruptions in drainage operations, the Chief Minister directed HESCO and other power utilities to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to pumping stations and critical municipal infrastructure.
The meeting was further informed that additional dewatering pumps had been deployed in Hyderabad, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar and Tando Muhammad Khan to strengthen emergency response capacity in rain-affected districts.
Concluding the meeting, the Chief Minister issued a comprehensive set of instructions to all concerned departments and district administrations.
He directed deputy commissioners, municipal authorities, health officials, irrigation engineers and disaster management teams to remain in the field and personally supervise emergency operations until weather conditions normalise. He ordered the establishment of round-the-clock monitoring and response mechanisms in all vulnerable districts and stressed that no officer should leave his assigned area without authorisation.
The Chief Minister instructed local governments to ensure immediate drainage of accumulated rainwater from urban centres, low-lying localities, roads and underpasses. He directed the Health Department to keep hospitals, rural health centres, ambulances, medicines and emergency medical staff on full alert to deal with any rain-related emergencies.
He also ordered continuous monitoring of canals, drainage channels, embankments and flood protection structures, particularly in Badin, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad districts. PDMA and district administrations were directed to maintain adequate stocks of relief goods, tents, food supplies and rescue equipment for immediate deployment wherever required.
Mr Shah further instructed utility agencies to ensure uninterrupted electricity and water supply in affected areas and directed all departments to submit regular situation reports to the CM Secretariat.
Emphasising accountability and responsiveness, the Chief Minister warned that negligence or absence from duty during the emergency would not be tolerated. “The safety and well-being of our people must remain our highest priority. Every institution must work in close coordination and respond swiftly to protect lives, property and public infrastructure during this monsoon season,” he said.