Karachi flood disaster: Shahrah-e-Bhutto collapse raises questions

A flash flood in Karachi’s Malir River has laid bare serious flaws in the under-construction Shahrah-e-Bhutto. On 10 September 2025, floodwaters tore through the six-lane road at Malir Jam Goth, washing away a major embankment.

Experts say the 39 km road built inside the river’s floodplain without a hydrological model was a disaster waiting to happen. Sindh’s chief minister has ordered an inquiry, while engineers warn that weak stone pitching and faulty design have endangered not just the road but also the Jam Sadiq Ali Bridge.

Retired irrigation chief engineer Khalid Haider Memon notes that the collapse occurred at only 40% of the river’s flow, raising fears of far worse damage if water levels rise.

In this report, Nukta special correspondent Akhtiar Khokhar investigates the project’s technical failings and the grave risks Karachi faces when mega-infrastructure ignores science.