2 weeks Ago By KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA SUJAWAL
KARACHI - Districts Sujawal and Thatta have been experiencing moderate to heavy rainfall for the past four days, bringing civic life in the coastal district to a standstill. Union councils Kothi, Karmalak, Gul Muhammad Baran, and Mugerbeen of Taluka Jati in Sujawal district have been severely affected by the persistent downpours. Credible sources within the affected areas revealed that remote areas of Taluka Jati and Shahbunder in Sujawal district have lost road connectivity with the rest of the district due to heavy rainfall.
Affected villagers reported that the clearance of outfall drains was not carried out by the concerned authorities in time, causing the drains to overflow and resulting in reverse flow after the rainfall. Village Ibrahim Mendaro was submerged underwater after the Bhittai outfall drain overflowed, forcing affected villagers to move to safer areas without assistance from the district administration. Meanwhile, areas of Jati, Mirpur Bathoro, Sujawal, and Darro town remained underwater until Friday evening, with the town administration struggling to drain out the water due to faulty machinery.
Coastal villages of Taluka Keti Bunder and Shahbunder remained submerged for the fourth consecutive day. According to credible sources, villages Muhammad Hassan Mirbahar, Laloo Khushik, and Piyaro Pakhiyaro were completely inundated with rainwater, prompting villagers to move to upper areas of the district. Besides coastal villages, riverine areas of districts Thatta and Sujawal have also been inundated, causing considerable damage to paddy and other standing crops.
According to statements issued by the district administration, Sujawal district received 756 mm of rain during the last four days. The authorities have ordered evacuation of people from the islands and coastal areas of Thatta District of Sindh as a powerful cyclone brewing in Arabian Sea move closer to the Pakistani coast on Friday morning. Already battered by continuous heavy rains, many Sindh cities including Karachi have shut down all schools in view of the risk of a cyclone along the coastal strip Thatta Deputy Commissioner Manawar Abbas Soomro told newsmen that transport has been arranged for the relocation of people and boats have also been sent to the islanders.
He said measures have been taken to avoid any major damage and people are being shifted to temporary camps. Meanwhile, Chief Meteorologist Dr Sardar Sarfaraz while giving an update about the cyclone said the deep depression will intensify into a cyclonic storm by Friday afternoon or evening. He said the deep depression has gradually moved further west to southwest, which is now lying 200kms south-east of Karachi.
The depression will continue to move southwest or west, Sardar Sarfaraz said and added the coastal areas of Pakistan are bracing for a ‘rare’ cyclonic storm likely over the northeast Arabian Sea along Sindh’s coast. The deep depression over the Rann of Kutch, India, slowly moved west-southwestward over the last 12 hours. It would move west towards Oman parallel to Pakistan coast, but can produce torrential rains in southern districts including Karachi and along the Makran coast.
“There is an 80 percent chance for a cyclonic storm’s formation when the deep depression would move from land to the sea and get favourable conditions. “It would be a rare event as cyclones are uncommon in the monsoon season,” said Sardar Sarfaraz. He explained it was due to the high vertical wind shear during the monsoon period that depressions formed in this season didn’t turn into cyclones.
He said if the storm materialised it would be the first cyclone in the Arabian Sea in August since 1976 and would get the name ‘Asna’. According to the Met department’s advisory, rain/wind-thunderstorms with scattered heavy/very heavy falls are likely in Awaran, Kech and Gwadar divisions during Aug 30 till Sept 1 with occasional gaps. Sea conditions are likely to remain rough to very rough with squally winds 50-60km/hour gusting to 70km/hour.
Fishermen of Sindh are advised not to venture into the open sea till Aug 31 and those of Balochistan till Sept 1. Meanwhile, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that all educational institutions in the Karachi division and several other cities of the province will be closed today following the advisory issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, urging residents to take necessary precautions during the heavy rains. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecasted stormy rain for Karachi and many other areas in Sindh today.
In a notification issued by the Divisional Commissioner Hyderabad, it was stated that, according to the meteorological department’s forecast, heavy rainfall is expected in the coastal districts of Sindh due to a possible hurricane. According to a handout issued on Friday, Section 144 has been imposed in the districts of Badin, Thatta and Sajawal to prevent any mishaps from the potential cyclone. Fishermen and tourists were banned from going into the open sea until September 1, and police have been directed to take legal action against violators in the respective districts.
The Divisional Commissioner Hyderabad has also directed the administrations of the concerned districts, including the coastal areas and the Hyderabad Division, to remain on high alert in anticipation of heavy rainfall, while instructions were issued to take steps to provide all possible facilities to the citizens. The notification further stated that a severe low pressure in the Arabian Sea was moving towards the southwest, which was likely to take the form of a cyclone, this low pressure was currently located at a distance of 270 km from Karachi. Due to the potential cyclone, the coastal districts of Thatta, Sajawal, Badin and Karachi are likely to experience heavy rainfall, and rain is also expected in various districts of the Hyderabad Division.
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