Drowning Karachi – 19^th July Rains and MQM

By Nadia Khan

Soon after the massive rainfalls that had started from 19^th July, suddenly or with a careful planning, MQM representatives have started their anti KESC campaign. Some news analyst gone on saying that its not the case, even though MQM is a govt ally and it would be trying to address Karachi residents electric problems.

This might be true, however, soon after the rainfall the whole anti KESC propaganda didn’t get justified and there’s something behind the scene. If MQM is sincere about resolving electricity issue they could have looked around the kundas, illegal connections, those are absorbing large amount of electricity without bills. Since last 20 years, after winning so many elections of KESC union, MQM didn't raise single word about the illegal connections.

When I reached Karachi on 22^nd July, the massive thrust of rainfall was over but I can see from the airport till DHA Phase V that all the roads were heavily flooded with rain water. This has alarmed, and I decided to investigate the “good work” done by young Mayor of Karachi – Mustafa Kamal, few months ago he was termed as 2 or 3^rd the best Mayor around the globe.

I was curious to know the good things and rainfall was a test case for him. All major roads starting from Shah rah e Faisal, the most important route of Karachi used by dignitaries, even the governor of Sind, while on his way to governor house returning from London, has to use the same, was fully over loaded with water, that had fallen two days before. If it is case of main route then you could image the other routes. Electronic media was showing the house in Mehmoodabad flooded with 3 or 4 feet water and I could see people, simply swimming, in that water to reach their homes. Before rain, these were the normal lanes to enter houses.

I was shocked, but the hope remains there that the good mayor of Karachi might have done something for the city irrespective of his party affiliation. Leyaari is out of MQM reach, so the main stream of water is there and I could see children taking water bath in that dirty water. What a fate of this vicinity – even after 60 years of independence neither PPP ruling Janta nor MQM mayor pay attention to their basic rights!

With a hope that district central, a home town of Muhajir residents and the powerful base of Mutahidda, should reflect the better scenario but alas my wish wasn’t come true. Below the flyover I could see water and unfortunately the most talented municipality officers weren’t able to design the underpass in a way that it shouldn’t store rain water rather than draining it. I don’t have that much “technical courage” to enter the underpass that was full of 5 feet water, with my small car.

Where ever I decided to find something that could have been constructed or build by the MQM municipality, should depict the “the-best-effort-of-mayor” was reflecting the opposite to that. Be it underpasses or drain water lakes like Gujjrnala or Leyarii naddi (Leyaari Lake) or the houses in far flung areas of Karachi either in Surjani or Model Colony – story remains same as of 20 years before.

Having looked at the city situation, then I realized the whole anti KESC propaganda is to divert attention of residents from the damages of rain or its water especially where there’s a question mark about the productivity of MQM-municipality or its young mayor's performance. Again MQM has saved its face by making KESC a scapegoat!!!

But how long, MQM could make Karachi residents fool? A time will come, insha Allah, when each one of them should be held responsible for all their mismanagement, funds looting, and especially making innocent/poor residents fool!