HYDERABAD/UMERKOT / THATTA: Life in Hyderabad city, Umerkot and several other urban areas remained paralyseddue to the downpour, massive power breakdown, flooding and collapse of drainage network on Sunday.
The power breakdown hit Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin andother districts with the start of the rainfall. Hesco restored power supply, though with low voltage, in Hyderabad city at around 9pm. In some areas, it was restored at 5:30pm.
A Hesco spokesman said that out of its 722 11kV feeders, electric supply remained suspended from 285 feeders. He confirmed that out of Hyderabad city’s 166 feeders, 66 were disabled by the rainfall.
Al main arteries and roadswereinundatedwhile water supply was seriously affected as facilities of theHyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation remained without power.
Most parts of the city remained without water supply for over 24 hours after power breakdown at two main water filtration plants off Jamshoro road a day earlier (Saturday).
‘Water supply will now be resumed but it will still take time to reach the downstream system for onward supplies’, said a HWSC source.
In Umerkot district, heavy rainfall for a second consecutive day, Sunday,inundated low-lying areas and disrupted normal life due to flooding in several towns.
Several thatched houses collapsed due to the impact of strong winds and heavy fall. Walls and other structures of residential units also collapsed at many places in different towns as flooding weakened their foundations.
Makeshift roadside structures, like vending stalls and shops, built over stormwater drains were washed away by deluges.
A similar situation waswitnessed in Thatta district where intermittent rainfall for the second consecutive day badly affected civic life and power supply network.
Low-lying areas, main roads and streets of Thatta and Makli were inundated.
Most areas experienced a 15-hour power outage, besides disrupted telecommunication services.
There were reports of rainwater having seeped into the historical Shah Jahan Masjid, where worshippers and other visitors noticed water leaking from the domes of the mosque.