Karachi Residents Face Power Outages After Monsoon Rains

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Karachi, Pakistan, has been grappling with widespread flooding, power failures, and public unrest following record-breaking monsoon rains that inundated the city earlier this week. Torrential downpours between Tuesday and Thursday brought more than 200 millimeters of rainfall, overwhelming drainage systems and leaving neighborhoods across the city submerged.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed that the intensity of rainfall exceeded the city’s capacity to manage stormwater. Streets, underpasses, and residential areas were inundated, with major intersections paralyzed for hours. The deluge also caused urban flooding that damaged infrastructure and disrupted commercial activity, hitting transport and trade across the country’s financial hub.

Authorities reported at least 17 fatalities, mostly from electrocutions and collapsing structures. Emergency workers said several people were injured in flooding-related accidents, while hospitals struggled with increased admissions linked to waterborne illnesses. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had earlier warned that rainfall exceeding 160 millimeters could overwhelm the city’s systems, a forecast that was realized as the city’s drainage network failed to cope with the intensity.

Power failures deepen crisis.
Electricity outages further compounded the situation. K-Electric, the city’s main power supplier, confirmed that water seepage into underground cables caused prolonged blackouts in multiple neighborhoods. While officials said most of the city’s 2,100 feeders were restored, about 40 remained down by Friday due to waterlogging. Several localities, including Surjani Town, Baldia, Defence Housing Authority, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and Gulshan-e-Hadeed, faced outages for up to four consecutive days.

The disruption extended beyond homes, with water shortages reported in several districts due to pumping stations being offline. Many residents expressed anger over the slow pace of restoration. Protests erupted outside K-Electric offices in areas such as Malir, Liaquat Market, Tipu Sultan Road, and University Road. Demonstrations also blocked traffic on Jinnah Avenue and near the Mehran Depot, disrupting the city’s People’s Bus Service and creating gridlock on major routes.

Government under pressure
In response to growing public frustration, Sindh Energy Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah visited K-Electric headquarters on Thursday and urged the company to expedite repair work. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab posted on social media that municipal teams had cleared rainwater from key roads within hours and that resources were mobilized to minimize further disruption.

Leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also defended the government’s performance. Senior PPP member Shazia Marri stated that no authority can control the weather but stressed that preemptive measures, including drain cleaning, helped mitigate damage. She added that President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Co-chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari monitored developments and coordinated with officials throughout the downpour.

Schools reopen, more rain forecast.
After three days of closures, schools and colleges reopened on Friday. The PMD reported that the monsoon system over Karachi had weakened, with only drizzle expected in the immediate term. However, forecasters warned that another rain spell is likely between August 27 and 30, raising concerns that flooding and outages could return.

Despite a gradual resumption of traffic and business activity, many Karachi residents remain without reliable power or water, underscoring the city’s vulnerability to extreme weather. With damage to civic infrastructure evident across multiple districts, recovery efforts are expected to continue well into next week.