One of the biggest and most deliberate mistakes made by a government is in referring to flooding as a natural disaster. It is true that the annual monsoon rains are a natural phenomenon but the flooding it causes is entirely preventable. Every year, it is the same story again – but with some more intensity. Summer months traditionally bring heavy rainfall that causes floods and gusty winds. It is also tradition that our governments – both at the federal and provincial levels – are unprepared for this eventuality. The latest is the pre-monsoon rainfall that has caused flooding in several districts of Balochistan and landslides in Gilgit-Baltistan. Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Kohlu, Naseer Abad, Sibbi, and Sohbat Pur are the worst affected in Balochistan where power supply has been disrupted as electricity pylons have been uprooted. Floodwater has swept away huts and thatched dwellings that came in the way. The rainfall has damaged link roads, and the Met Office has forecast more rainfall in the region. Such floods are not new and nearly every year they cause devastation of varying degrees. The question raised every year remains the same: will district and provincial authorities just issue alert warnings as the concerned departments consistently appear to be caught unawares? Normally, the third quarter of every year brings rains and floods from July to September, but in recent years erratic weather conditions due to climate change have caused earlier rains starting in June. This calls for a revised strategy that must envisage floods and rains immediately after spring which has become short as early summer brings higher temperatures from April onwards.
There is a need to remain vigilant to meet the emergency situation much before July every year. There should be a flood monitoring mechanism in place so that early warnings can be issued and people remain alert. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) just issues advisories for heavy rainfall across the country but there appears to be no follow-up or any concrete measures to tackle such emergencies. In addition to Balochistan, heavy rains are lashing Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa areas such as Galyat and surrounding regions. There have been reports of landslides and there is also a higher risk of flooding in low-lying areas and rivers. The same applies to Sindh where the Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued a weather alert forecasting that parts of Sindh will receive the first spell of pre-monsoon rains this week.
Upcountry there have already been landslides on Jaglot-Skardu road which has been blocked in Roundu valley. Such road closures are also a regular phenomenon, calling for better road management. This is possible only if state-of-the-art machinery remains available in all major towns from where they can quickly be deployed for opening roads. When landslides hamper movement in the area, tourists and local travelers get stranded. Not long ago, the country was shaken by the tragedy in Murree during heavy snowfall. That tragedy should have served as a wake-up call for local and provincial authorities across the country, but it seems that they have not learned any lessons. No one can stop torrential rains, but at least better preparations should be in place to minimize the devastating impact on people and properties. Punjab is also not immune to such vagaries of the weather. Over 100kmph winds have been recorded in Lahore this past week. As more thunderstorms are expected in Punjab too, the government must take all this seriously. Without forward thinking, the situation will progressively get more dire with every coming monsoon season.