Indus Highway Closed Indefinitely Due to Flooding

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has announced that the Karachi-Larkana Indus Highway will remain closed indefinitely as several parts of the road are still flooded with water. 

Areas Hit By Flood

At least 3 feet of flood water has made the highway inaccessible, especially near Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, and Sehwan toll plazas. According to NHA sources, there is no telling when the road will reopen as no one knows when the flood water will drain.

Flood has made traveling exponentially challenging as the road has been damaged in several places, and the water has not drained. The travel time between Sukkur and Karachi alone has increased from six hours to fifteen hours. GT road has also taken a massive hit around the areas of Nowshero, Kandiar, Qazi Ahmed, and Jahanian due to the flood.

Over 5,000 kilometers of roads have been damaged across Pakistan due to devastating floods and heavy rainfall, according to a report by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Government’s Rehabilitation Measurements

The Provincial government has announced to allocate a budget of Rs. 3.5 billion for rehabilitating and repairing damaged roads due to floods in Karachi and surrounding areas. 

In a press conference, City administrator Murtaza Wahab said:

“Due to the effects of climate change, there has been more than usual rainfall across the world, for which no country, including Pakistan, is prepared. Karachi’s roads will be reconstructed at a cost of Rs. 3.5 billion.”

He further added that a two-phase approach would be taken to rehabilitate the roads:

• Urgent completion of Annual Development Program (ADP) projects related to roads, water dispersal channels, and sewage.
• Repairing potholes in the city’s roads.

He also gave a breakdown of the funds and told the media that the government plans on spending Rs. 2.5 billion for the repair of damaged roads, while the rest will be given to the flood victims. On top of this, 157 other projects are also underway to fix and improve the infrastructure of Karachi.