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hen heavy monsoon rains lashed Mingora in August this year, the city’s main bazaar once again turned into a shallow river. Water rushed down from the hills and found no outlet. Instead, it surged through streets, flooded homes and stranded commuters. For thousands of residents, the scene was all too familiar.
Once known for its serene streams and orchards, Mingora — Swat’s largest urban centre — has become increasingly prone to flash floods. Urban expansion, poor drainage and encroachments have combined with erratic climate patterns to make flooding a recurring urban disaster — one that is hitting livelihoods, human dignity and security of families year after year.
Expanding flood footprint
According to the Water and Sanitation Services Company, the city has experienced two major urban floods in 2022 and again in 2025 both inundating large parts of Mingora.
“The affected area has expanded from 140 acres to 261 acres,” said Engr Zeeshan Pervaiz, general manager (Operations Services) for WSSC Swat. “In addition, smaller flood events happen regularly due to drainage issues.”
Behind those numbers are stories of loss and uncertainty. The floods have damaged homes, shops, schools and roads — and with them, the fragile livelihoods of daily wage workers, vendors and small business owners who depend on Mingora’s bustling markets.
A city built over waterways
What makes Mingora particularly vulnerable is that much of its drainage relies on natural streams — locally called khwar — that once carried rainwater safely to the Swat River. Over the years, these waterways have been narrowed, filled or covered with concrete to make room for markets, roads and housing.
“All the natural streams have been encroached upon. In some cases, buildings have been constructed directly over them, making cleaning and maintenance almost impossible,” said Pervaiz.
The result is a city that drowns itself — where every downpour runs into blocked exits and turns streets into rivers.
Livelihood losses
In Udyaana Market, Mingora’s main hub for books and stationery, shopkeeper Nauman Khan watched helplessly as the floodwater swallowed his store.
“We’ve been running a business here for many years, but this kind of flood has never happened,” he said. “The entire shop was destroyed. All the goods were washed away. The damage across Mingora city is huge — the flood came so suddenly.”
Nearby, Ruhul Amin, who ran a small scrap shop, stood among the wreckage of his livelihood.
“Everything was swept away by the floodwater. Our business is gone,” he said quietly. “We had no idea a flood would hit us. Had we known, we could have saved our goods in time.”
From Chena Market, another commercial area, Zeeshan, a young shopkeeper, recounted his loss:
“My shop was completely destroyed. There’s mud everywhere. I request the government to please find a solution to this serious problem.”
For Sajjad, a jeweler, the impact was even more personal.
“Our jewelry business is completely ruined by the flood. This happens every yer. This place is no longer suitable for business. Our livelihood is gone,” he said, staring at the empty showcases that once held gold - and hope.
Between survival and recovery
Beyond the marketplaces, many low-income families living near covered drains and encroached streams bore the brunt. Floodwaters entered homes, damaging furniture, bedding and schoolbooks. For those already struggling with inflation, rebuilding has become a painful routine.
“Urban flooding is not just a natural disaster — it’s a planning failure,” said Dr Basit. “If Mingora wants to survive future monsoons, it must rebuild its relationship with the waterways it has buried.”
“We have cleaned our house three times since the rains,” said Saira Bibi, a mother of four living near the Makanbagh, Landikas khwar. “Every year we fix the walls and buy new mats. The next flood ruins everything. The children can’t sleep when it rains — they fear that the water will come back.”
Her story mirrors hundreds of others in Mingora, where every storm threatens to undo months of effort to restore normalcy.
Drainage under strain
WSSC officials say the city’s drainage system is undersized and poorly connected. Many of the drains, first designed decades ago for a much smaller population, struggle to handle runoff from a rapidly growing urban sprawl.
“Encroachments, blocked drains and utility pipes passing through culverts reduce water-carrying capacity,” said Pervaiz. “The system was never built for today’s rainfall intensity.”
Heavy downpours often coincide with solid waste accumulation — plastic bags and garbage clog culverts and manholes, forcing floodwater back into streets and homes. For residents, that means another night spent sweeping, salvaging and hoping the rain will stop.
Extreme weather
According to Dr Abdul Basit, an environmental scientist, changing weather patterns are compounding the problem.
“Monsoon systems have become more erratic, with intense rainfall in short periods,” he said. “Urban areas like Mingora, with little green cover and paved surfaces, cannot absorb water quickly. This leads to surface runoff and flash floods.”
He added that deforestation in upper Swat and the conversion of agricultural land into concrete structures had increased runoff velocity, pushing more water into the urban core. “It’s not just bad luck — it’s bad planning meeting a changing climate,” he said.
Government response
Deputy Commissioner Saleem Jan Marwat acknowledged the growing humanitarian and infrastructure challenges.
“After Peshawar, Swat district has one of the highest population growth rates,” he said. “Rapid urbanisation is putting immense pressure on local infrastructure. We’re working to address the situation — tree plantation, better drainage and strict zoning are part of the plan.”
The WSSC-Swat has developed a sectoral master plan for urban drainage, designed with climate change and disaster risk considerations. The plan identifies bottlenecks, encroachments and undersized drains and proposes modern drainage corridors and waste management reforms.
“The main constraint is funding,” Pervaiz said. “Urban flooding is now a government priority. A new project proposal has been submitted for approval.”
Municipal officials say public awareness and community involvement are key. Campaigns are being planned to discourage dumping waste into drains and to build resilience among vulnerable households.
Restoring resilience
Experts say Mingora’s survival depends on how well it can balance urban growth with ecological restoration. Reopening covered streams, enforcing building codes and integrating flood-resilient design are critical.
“Urban flooding is rarely just a natural disaster; mor often it is a planning failure,” said Dr Basit. “If Mingora wants to survive future monsoons, it must rebuild its relationship with the waterways it has buried.”
For now, Mingora is a city where progress has come at the cost of resilience, and where people, every monsoon season, fight not just to save their homes, but also to preserve their dignity and hope.
The writer is a freelance journalist from Swat and a PhD scholar in media and mass communication. He reports on climate change, environment, human rights, education and elections. He can be reached Waqar.swaty93gmail.com