Almost all parts of the country received rain and snowfall in the past couple of days, with more rains and snowfall expected in the coming days. The first snowfall of the winter season hit several parts of Balochistan including Quetta as temperature in the provincial capital and rest of the province dropped further. The rainy-spell will provide much-needed water for crops in the plains. The spell will help alleviate concerns regarding the shrinking water reservoirs. Lack of rain in the country had led to the drop in reservoir and underground water levels and the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Chairman had expressed concerns earlier this month that if the barren spell continues the country’s reservoirs will be depleted of water by the end of February or beginning of March.
However citizens were left to suffer due to the poor management by relevant authorities. The rain that had been accurately forecast for Karachi and parts of Balochistan duly arrived and as the mercury plummeted, power outages along with traffic congestion became a common sight. Despite fact that rain is not a common phenomenon in Karachi the city managers should have prepared better, clogged drains, disruption in power supply and traffic chaos are things that can easily be controlled with better management, something the city lacks. Meteorologists have also warned that weather will become unpredictable in the whole country in the coming years and unexpected rains will become the norm, it is a matter of serious concern as to how the relevant authorities will deal with such unpredictable weather when they cannot even cope with predicted rain spell. In Karachi eight-people have lost their lives in the recent rain spell in electrocution and roof-collapse incidents. People dying of preventable incidents in the year 2017 portray the apathy the government has towards the problems and miseries of the common people.
In Balochistan, heavy snowfall led to suspension of power in several districts, including Quetta. According to reports the province is suffering from extended power and gas load-shedding which has brought life to hold. The temperature has plummeted to below zero in Quetta and surrounding areas and without electricity and gas and due to blockage of roads people have been confined to their homes. Relevant authorities in all provinces need to take adequate steps to ensure that loss of life is minimized in rain related incidents that are very much predictable.
Rain-spell in Karachi exposed the ill-planning of city managers.
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