KARACHI:
A sudden flash flood in the Malir River has ripped apart a section of the under-construction Shahrah-e-Bhutto near Malir Jam Goth, leaving behind a gaping hole several feet wide and deep.
Residents said the collapse took place late Tuesday night when floodwaters surged into the area. Police quickly cordoned off the damaged stretch with safety ropes to keep vehicles and pedestrians away from the hazard.
Locals alleged that the road had been built directly on the base of the Jam Goth Dam without necessary structural changes. When the flood struck, they said, the road could not withstand the pressure and was swept away in a matter of minutes.
The incident has once again put a spotlight on Karachi’s fragile infrastructure and the quality of recent development projects.
Political Reaction
Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) strongly condemned the collapse, linking it to what they called “bogus projects” pushed through by the PPP-led provincial government.
Party leaders argued that both Shahrah-e-Bhutto and the recently inaugurated New Hub Canal failed to survive even the first spell of heavy rains. “These projects collapsed under the initial pressure of monsoon downpours, exposing the corruption and negligence behind them,” the MQM-P said in a statement.
The party also pointed out that the New Hub Canal built at a cost of Rs12 billion did not last more than twelve weeks before suffering major damage, leaving residents of District West and Keamari without relief.
MQM-P demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif order an urgent investigation into what they allege is large-scale corruption in the execution of these high-profile schemes.
