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Floods Continue to Wreak Havoc in Pakistan

Damage to Munda Headworks threatens Nowshera, Charsadda, as authorities urge locals to evacuate to safety

by Staff Report

Flooding in Swat

Damage to Munda Headworks, which regulates the flow of the Swat River, on Friday evening left Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera and Charsadda districts at risk of flooding, with authorities expediting efforts to evacuate local residents to safer locations.

According to a post on Twitter by Nowshera Deputy Commissioner Mir Reza Ozgen, floodwater has destroyed half of the Munda Headworks, sweeping away two Discharge Control sections. He warned a deluge was now headed toward Nowshera and urged all residents to evacuate to safety. In a statement, he regretted that people were not acting on flood advisories and refusing to leave their homes for safer locations.

In Charsadda, per a local official, almost 200,000 people were evacuated to safety after the Munda Headworks recorded a “very high flood” flow of 260,000 cusecs; by contrast it had only recorded 175,000 cusecs in the 2010 floods. In addition to collapsing a part of the headworks, the deluge also resulted in the destruction of Munda headworks bridge, cutting off the Shabqadar and Prang tehsils from Charsadda. Irrigation officials said the water level at the headworks had peaked overnight and had started to recede in the early hours of Saturday.

More deaths reported

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, rain-related incidents caused 45 more deaths—10 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; 2 in Punjab; 33 in Sindh—and 113 injuries over the past 24 hours. It said the total number of deaths across Pakistan since the rains started in mid-June had now reached 982, with Sindh the worst-hit at 339 casualties. The province has also reported the most number of injuries—974—of the 1,456 confirmed nationwide.

Updating the extent of the damages caused by the floods, the NDMA said 3,161.5km of roads had been damaged across Pakistan, while 149 bridges had collapsed and 122 shops were destroyed. It said 455,420 homes were partially damaged, while 226,719 had been completely destroyed; 191,030 in Sindh alone. The total number of livestock confirmed to have perished in rain-related incidents has risen to 802,583, with 500,000 reported lost in Balochistan and 202,593 in Punjab.

According to government officials, more than half of Pakistan is currently underwater, with millions left homeless. They have warned of greater devastation to come, noting the Met Office has forecast more rains till the end of September, which would hamper rehabilitation efforts and likely generate flash floods and hill torrents.

Army support

The federal government, taking cognizance of the rising threat, has decided to deploy the Army in all provinces to help civilian authorities conduct rescue operations in flooded areas. According to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry, the exact number of troops and area of deployment would be determined by each provincial government in consultation with the military operations directorate and General Headquarters. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told media the Punjab government had requisitioned the Army’s deployment in Dera Ghazi Khan; while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was seeking the same in Dera Ismail Khan. Balochistan, he said, needed personnel in Nasirabad, Jhal Magsi, Sohbatpur, Jafarabad and Lasbela districts, while Sindh had request military support in all flood-hit districts.

Balochistan and KP

The massive flow through the Swat River—estimated at 400,000 cusecs at its peak—resulted in hundreds of animals, several buildings, bridges and hundreds of homes being washed away, with inundation of roads cutting off access to the Kalam valley. There was similar devastation reported from Balochistan, where over 36 hours of rain left Quetta and its surrounding areas under water.

Highways linking Balochistan to the rest of the country have been inaccessible for several days, with authorities lamenting they cannot restore the road linkages until the rains stop. According to local officials, a breach in the Sabri Dam resulted in at least 100 villages being completely submerged. The deluge has also damaged two gas pipelines, cutting off the region’s gas supply, making the situation even more difficult for flood-affected locals, who are struggling to even light fires to cook food, as all the wood is soaked through.

The rains in Quetta also flooded the airport, with the Pakistan International Airlines saying flight operations had been suspended until conditions improved. Similarly, rail linkages have also been suspended due to the waters submerging tracks. Speaking with journalists, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said Pakistan Railways had suffered Rs. 10 billion in losses due to damages to various tracks and infrastructure. He warned this estimate could rise, as losses were still being assessed.

Relief efforts

Amidst the ongoing carnage, both the federal and provincial governments have commenced relief operations in a bid to facilitate victims. In a statement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan announced that all government buildings would be opened to people fleeing floodwaters to provide them shelter.

The National Assembly, meanwhile, announced all MNAs would donate one month’s salary, while secretariat staff would donate one week’s pay for flood relief funds. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, likewise, said civil servants from grades 17-22 would donate one week’s salary to the flood relief fund.

The Foreign Office on Friday said the U.N. would, on Aug. 30 (Tuesday) launch a $160 million Flash Appeal to seek funding for the millions of people impacted by this year’s rains. The Flash Appeal, said spokesman Asim Iftikhar, would be launched simultaneously from Geneva and Islamabad, adding this was a “significant” development, as it would trigger the international community’s response and encourage bilateral assistance from other countries.

Speaking with the BBC on Friday, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman stressed this year’s floods were the worst in Pakistan’s living memory. She warned that resources were stretched thin, adding that millions were at risk if the international community did not support the country.

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