Karachi [Pakistan], September 19 : Karachi's fragile infrastructure has once again collapsed under the weight of seasonal rains, leaving residents questioning both the scale of the damage and the government's lack of response.
While heavy rainfall is not unusual for the city, this year's downpour has highlighted how deeply unprepared civic authorities remain to manage urban flooding, damaged roads, and rising inflation that is hitting the poorest the hardest.
Residents reported that roads in Karachi were already riddled with pits and cracks before the rains began, but the latest spell has worsened conditions drastically.
"Now we don't even know where the pits are because the roads are filled with water," senior Pakistani journalist Shams Kareeo stated, emphasising that neither the city government nor provincial authorities have taken responsibility for repairs.
In the past, residents themselves would fill up potholes after rains, but worsening conditions have made even that stopgap solution impossible.
While Sindh's rural areas did not experience the same level of infrastructure damage, crops across the province have taken a significant hit. Cotton, which was in promising condition, has suffered significant losses, while rice and sugarcane yields have also been affected.
The agricultural damage is fuelling fears of further inflation in food prices, compounding the already dire economic strain faced by the poor.
"The first generation has suffered a lot, especially women," Kareeo remarked, pointing to how rising costs of essentials are worsening poverty.
Everyday items are becoming unaffordable, yet no policies are in place to control inflation. Farmers and the urban poor alike are now left wondering how much more they will be forced to endure as food prices spiral and jobs remain scarce.
Criticism is mounting that the government appears to work only for the rich, leaving the poor without any concrete relief or planning. "The government has no plans for the poor," Kareeo stated. "There is no end to inflation. There is no government."
With civic infrastructure collapsing and inflation climbing unchecked, Karachi's rains have done more than flood streets; they have washed away what little confidence residents still had in their government.
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