The fourth rain spell to hit Karachi has once again, sunk the city and taken its toll on people in every possible way. According to the latest media reports, 22 people lost their lives due to the recent rain spell in Karachi—many of the deceased were electrocuted. Every year, life in the metropolis comes to a halt whenever monsoon spells hit the city. It is unfortunate that even after witnessing the devastation, the government has yet to devise a strategy to protect the city against the monsoon rains.

With the provincial government struggling during the last bout of rainfall, the federal government stepped in heroically, with immediate clean-up of major drainage canals across Karachi. However, these efforts did not prove much helpful. It is not like cleaning up drains is not a strategy that has been employed before; the only problem is that this is not enough to solve the drainage problems of our cities.

Undoubtedly, the structural design of the drainage system of the city remains the primary issue. Despite experiencing the inefficacy and failures of short-term interventions, concerned authorities are not discussing long-term solutions for this exigent problem. Monsoon rains are a problem that is very specific to our region on the globe, but one does not need to look hard to find innovative solutions to the problem of urban flooding. Large storm drains and subterranean pipes are a common infrastructure fixture in developed countries.

If blame does lie anywhere, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) shares the biggest chunk. The party is on its third consecutive term in the province. Such a long duration in the province is quite a good time to change the fate of Karachi. The financial hub needs the attention of both the federal and provincial governments. They must come and work together to ensure that future rains do not turn the city into a dangerous flood zone.