Recent monsoon rains exposed deep flaws in Karachi’s infrastructure and civic management, causing unprecedented hardship for citizens.

This was highlighted by Dr Noman Ahmed, professor at the NED University of Engineering and Technology, during a presentation on Tuesday at the Urban Resource Centre titled ‘Review of Infrastructure Related Problems Faced by People in Karachi’.

He lamented that the rains led to “inundation of major roads, highways, and even planned neighbourhoods like Saadi Town, while underpasses and flyovers were submerged.” He added that the city also witnessed the “collapse of newly built infrastructure, uprooting of trees where road widening had been carried out, prolonged power outages, and tragic incidents of electrocution.”

Despite Karachi having more than a dozen institutions mandated to manage civic services, including the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, and multiple development authorities, Dr Ahmed noted that “there is little coordination in their working dynamics, and people’s concerns are seldom addressed.”

He pointed out that while these bodies had substantial budgets such as Rs55 billion for the KMC and Rs46.2 billion for the KWSC, “the impact on service delivery remains limited, with mega projects such as the seven BRT corridors expected to serve less than nine per cent of passenger trips.”

Calling for urgent reforms, the academic stressed the need for “a platform where civil society, interest groups, and community representatives can engage with official agencies under the sanction of the Sindh government.”

He further proposed initiatives for roads and right of way rehabilitation and hawkers and vendors’ facilitation to minimise disruption caused by ongoing mega projects and poor inter-agency coordination.

Published in The News, October 02, 2025