Section of Malir Expressway collapses as rains revive Karachi's dead rivers

A portion of the under-construction Malir Expressway was washed away during recent rains, highlighting concerns long raised by environmentalists that the project was being built directly on the natural bed of the Malir River.

The downpour, which inundated several parts of the city, caused the river to swell and reclaim its course, damaging parts of the expressway and surrounding areas. Experts say the incident underscores the risks of altering Karachi’s natural waterways, many of which have been constricted or turned into concrete drains over the years.

Environmental activists and urban planners have warned for years that projects such as the Malir Expressway and housing schemes along the city’s riverbeds are destroying Karachi’s fragile ecosystem. They argue that rivers such as the Malir, Lyari and Lat once served as lifelines by carrying mountain streams and rainwater to the Arabian Sea, but have since been blocked or diverted by highways, housing societies and unregulated development.

The Lat River, for instance, once flowed from the Kirthar mountains into Malir at Natha Khan Bridge. Its course has been obstructed by the Northern Bypass, M-9 Motorway and Saadi Town housing projects, resulting in regular flooding of nearby settlements whenever heavy rain falls.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) previously refused to finance the Malir Expressway, citing its environmental impact. However, the project proceeded with government backing, despite criticism that it would act as a barrier to the river’s natural flow.

With this year’s floods once again exposing Karachi’s vulnerability, urban experts are urging authorities to reconsider development that disregards natural drainage patterns. They warn that unless the city’s rivers are restored and respected as waterways rather than encroached upon, flooding will continue to worsen in the years ahead.