Every few years, a Pakistani city is drenched and flooded by monsoon rains. In Karachi, a city of 16 million people, floods are crowding around the city. The roads have turned to rivers and buildings are filled with water. According to Global Climax Risk Index, Pakistan ranks 5th as most vulnerable to climate change. Pakistan lost 9,989 lives, suffered economic losses worth USD 3.8 billion dollars, and witnessed 152 extreme weather events from 1999 to 2018.
Even with severe problems from climate change, the government is not paying to help the local people deal with floods. “The people of Karachi pay billions in taxes to the government but after every spell of rain, Karachi turns into a mess,” Mr. Akhtar said at a news conference. “Where is all the money that the provincial government gets from the federal government?” Obviously, the people of Karachi are enraged with the lack of government action. Hundreds are dying in the floods, but the government isn’t doing any work to help.
The government isn’t blatantly disclosing their lack of help, as Mr. Shah, the chief minister, claimed the rain was too severe, and “[t]he provincial government managed the situation in the best way it could.” With increased government incompetence and severity of rain, damages are only getting worse. “All of these problems stem from the city being poorly governed and exploited by multiple political parties vying for control of the city’s economic resources, but all failing to deliver basic services to its residents,” said Jumaina Siddiqui, who serves as a senior officer for the South Asia Institute of Peace.
In Karachi alone, 31 people have died due to electrocution and drowning. The electricity in the flooded area was to be suspended, to reduce or totally stop the electrocution. Flooding has also damaged businesses. Merchants and salesmen stock up their supply and store them in a safer place, away from the water, fearing that the supply will get washed away or damaged. Two years ago, in the same city, a monsoon rain already attacked the Karachi area, devastating the economy. COVID-19 and the flurry of monsoon rains have both destroyed the economy, which didn’t help the salesmen at all.
The constant and continuous monsoon rains have been attacking the people of Karachi, and the government isn’t planning on helping. People have been protesting for the government to take action, but they claimed: “[w]e did the best we possibly can.”
Even with severe problems from climate change, the government is not paying to help the local people deal with floods. “The people of Karachi pay billions in taxes to the government but after every spell of rain, Karachi turns into a mess,” Mr. Akhtar said at a news conference. “Where is all the money that the provincial government gets from the federal government?” Obviously, the people of Karachi are enraged with the lack of government action. Hundreds are dying in the floods, but the government isn’t doing any work to help.
The government isn’t blatantly disclosing their lack of help, as Mr. Shah, the chief minister, claimed the rain was too severe, and “[t]he provincial government managed the situation in the best way it could.” With increased government incompetence and severity of rain, damages are only getting worse. “All of these problems stem from the city being poorly governed and exploited by multiple political parties vying for control of the city’s economic resources, but all failing to deliver basic services to its residents,” said Jumaina Siddiqui, who serves as a senior officer for the South Asia Institute of Peace.
In Karachi alone, 31 people have died due to electrocution and drowning. The electricity in the flooded area was to be suspended, to reduce or totally stop the electrocution. Flooding has also damaged businesses. Merchants and salesmen stock up their supply and store them in a safer place, away from the water, fearing that the supply will get washed away or damaged. Two years ago, in the same city, a monsoon rain already attacked the Karachi area, devastating the economy. COVID-19 and the flurry of monsoon rains have both destroyed the economy, which didn’t help the salesmen at all.
The constant and continuous monsoon rains have been attacking the people of Karachi, and the government isn’t planning on helping. People have been protesting for the government to take action, but they claimed: “[w]e did the best we possibly can.”
