[Current Affairs] August 28,2020 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for PPSC Test Preparation

What’s going on? Pakistan’s largest city is reportedly “struggling to stay afloat” as rainwater accumulates on roads. Floodwaters are overwhelming the city’s crumbling infrastructure. Residents are bailing water out of their homes and wading through flooded streets. There are photos of floating cars and submerged homes. In addition to causing structures to collapse, rainwater is also accumulating in hospitals. Karachi Electric suspended power in several areas for safety reasons since streets, houses and buildings are flooded.

The details: Three days of monsoon rains have killed at least 90 people across Pakistan, and damaged at least 1,000 homes. Rain is continuing to lash Karachi and other parts of Sindh. During an earlier wave of monsoon rains, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan sent troops to help local authorities pump rainwater out of inundated residential areas in Karachi.

Record-breaking rain: Torrential rain swept through Karachi on Thursday. At least 19 people died in rain-related incidents and residents have had to evacuate their homes. Provincial authorities are moving displaced families into school buildings, and the military is carrying out rescue/relief efforts. Meteorological officials said downpours this month have broken 89-year-old records in the city. According to the Meteorological Department, Karachi received the highest amount of rain ever recorded in a single day (i.e. 223.5mm of rain in just 12 hours).

The provincial govt’s response: In response to criticism against the Sindh govt, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah denied accusations about the city “being left helpless.” He said teams are supervising rescue work throughout the day, but accumulated rain water can’t be drained unless the rain calms down. PM Khan tweeted about Thursday’s rainfall in Karachi. CM Shah announced a province-wide public holiday on Friday (i.e. today) due to the flooding situation. He advised people stranded in offices to stay put. Institutions providing essential services will remain open.

The bottom line: Every year, heavy monsoon rains show that Karachi needs better infrastructure planning and drainage systems. Many cities in Pakistan actually struggle to cope with the annual monsoon deluge, causing a lot of public outcry over poor planning.