Waiting for El Nino

By There is warm water in the Pacific that is making the weather go haywire globally. This is referred to as 'El Nino' and this year it is expected to also affect Pakistan and the province of Sindh, including Karachi. This is no small event and can cause the weather to be hotter and drier with less rain but with one or two big flood bursts. So where do we stand? Right now in the waiting stage. In simple words, think of El Nino as turning up a stove. The pot gets hotter over a period of time. It can be said we are in the warming up stage not yet at the boiling over phase. Everyone is watching September closely because that is the time when a super El Nino can change things and test the readiness of all concerned departments that have been preparing for this moment for some time. One of the main concerns is the heat generated which puts demands on power that in some cases cannot be met, leading to load shedding and resultant protests possibly ending in riots. Karachi is still having bearable temperatures, which are a blessing thanks to the sea breeze. Karachi has also been spared any cloudbursts lately but you can never guarantee that this will continue in the coming months as the El Nino phenomenon intensifies. There is a different response to El Nino and the hardships it can create on a rural and urban level. In rural Sindh, it is all about crop failure and the focus is how to tackle that problem. In Karachi and other urban centres of the province, it is about heat stress that drives many to seek medical care, increases the use of AC, water tankers get more hard to obtain and with higher prices. There is also load shedding and then there is flood damages as 2 to 3 days of heavy rain can cause more damage than a week of normal rain. The drainage system in Karachi leaves much to be desired and Karachi streets still become swimming pools after a few hours of steady rain in the metropolis. There is also the menace of open manholes that continue to gobble up old and young and become more deadly as they disappear under rain water catching the unwary travellers. A cloudburst can hide these deadly manholes, leading to more casualties and many more unhappy households whose bread earners might become victims on flooded streets. So what is the Sindh government doing to deal with El Nino challenge? So far, the preparations are very impressive. There are 41,600 and some more trained volunteers on standby across Sindh. These include civil defence rescue scouts, Red Crescent, Al-Khidmat, and NDMA volunteers. Measures have been taken to deal with the heatwave and accompanying health issues with the establishment of heat-stroke centres and cooling centres in schools, community halls and government offices, relief camps with drinking water, ORS, medical aid, shaded rest areas, and ambulances; during acute heat shaded structures, mobile water tankers at bus stands and markets. Posters in public places advising people to follow NDMA guidelines and stay hydrated. Preparations are also underway in Karachi anticipating El Nino such as camps and relief points at Sakhi Hasan Chowrangi, Water Pump, railway station, DC South Complex and other busy spots. Here, there are elaborate arrangements that include the provision of cold drinking water, sharbat, first-aid. Severe heat stroke victims get immediate attention and transferred to hospitals through ambulances. All this activity regarding El Nino in Karachi started with the heatwave alert issued by PDMA Sindh in early September. The alert was issued because it was anticipated that El Nino factor would bring in increased heat and consequently water stress. It was a responsible action and still the concerned authorities seem to be on their toes awaiting El Nino, which can still create difficulties and threaten the lives of the people in affected areas. Let us keep our fingers crossed. It seems that those in charge are in this case on their toes, and we can only pray that Karachi and other parts of Sindh do not feel the full strength of El Nino, and that it passes us without causing much damage or any loss of life. The winds have picked up a little. At times, there are really strong gusts of wind, and the weather is hazy. Is this a sign of El Nino? Let us wait and see. (The writer is a well-known columnist) Copyright Business Recorder, 2026