A Karachi court has ordered the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) and District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Central (Shadman) to pay Rs9.9 million in compensation to a man who lost his wife and two-month-old son during the 2022 monsoon rains.
The tragic incident occurred when the family, traveling on a motorcycle, fell into an open drain without protective barriers in the Shadman area.
The mother and infant son drowned, and the baby’s body was never recovered.
In his verdict, Senior Civil Judge Central Zaheer Hussain Mangi held KMC and DMC Central responsible for failing to maintain safe infrastructure.
The court noted that the municipal authorities had neglected their duty by not covering or securing the drain, especially during a season known for heavy rains.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Advocate Usman Farooq, argued that the absence of even basic safety measures was a clear act of negligence by the municipal bodies. The court agreed, stating that their failure led directly to the loss of life.
The judgment requires KMC and DMC Central to pay Rs9.9 million in damages to the victim’s family.
This ruling underscores broader concerns about Karachi’s inadequate drainage and safety systems, which have been blamed for multiple fatalities during seasonal rains in recent years.