Rescue workers provide aid to flood affected populations in Punjab. Photo courtesy Punjab Emergency Service Department
Heavy rains continued in several parts of Pakistan over the past week, triggering flash floods that have left hundreds dead and thousands homeless, with local residents complaining of the government’s failure to provide them relief.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 692 people have died due to the ongoing monsoon season from June 14-till now—285 men, 151 women and 256 children. The worst-hit province has been Balochistan, which has alone reported 207 deaths, comprising 98 men, 48 women, and 61 children. In Sindh, 159 casualties have been confirmed; 144 in Punjab; 138 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; 1 in Islamabad; 9 in Gilgit-Baltistan; and 34 in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
There has been a surge in casualties and damages in Punjab, where flash floods in Rajanpur district and Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa Sharif tehsils in the past month have destroyed hundreds of homes. According to local media, several small settlements, including Retara, Jatwala and Tubi Qaisrani, are uninhabitable after heavy flooding due to a breach at the Thatta-Laghari protection dykes. Locals, including in videos on social media, have lamented they were told to evacuate their homes with little notice, adding the government lacked resources to facilitate them.
During a visit to flood-affected areas of Punjab, Finance Minister Mohsin Leghari implied the government had no plans to tackle the waters, saying he hoped the floodwaters would recede if there were no more rains. The government has, on the instructions of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, announced financial assistance of Rs. 400,000 for each family that has lost a mud house.
According to the NDMA, 33km of roads have been damaged in Punjab and 7 bridges and 1 shop entirely destroyed. It said 6,402 houses had been partially damaged, while 5,978 had been completely destroyed. Additionally, it claimed, 13 livestock had perished, but locals say the actual number is far in excess of this.
In Balochistan, 690km of roads have been damaged; 18 bridges destroyed; 17,060 homes partially damaged; 6,057 completely destroyed; and 500,000 livestock lost. Authorities have confirmed that a gas pipeline has been damaged in Bolan district, suspending supplies to Quetta, Pishin, Mastung, Kalat, Pishin, Ziarat and other nearby towns. They said it could take up to 4 days—after floodwaters recede—to fix the damage. There are also reports that the Quetta-Karachi Highway, Quetta-Sukkur Highway, Loralai-Dera Ghazi Khan Highway, and Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Highway linking Balochistan to the rest of the country have been blocked due to landslides and floods, practically cutting off all access to the province.
Meanwhile, in Sindh, 2,135.4km of roads have been damaged; 45 bridges and 32 shops destroyed; 40,910 houses partially damages; 6,489 destroyed; and 2,007 livestock lost. Authorities have commenced rescue and relief operations with a halt to the rains, focusing on the worst-hit areas of Sukkur, Khairpur, Larkana, Dadu, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Hyderabad. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has said it has provided shelters, mosquito nets, food packs and other essential items to district administrations for distribution among the public.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 6.5km of roads have been damaged and 7 bridges destroyed. The province has seen 4,005 homes partially damaged; 1,118 completely destroyed; and 337 livestock lost. In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, 10 shops have been destroyed; 137 homes partially damaged; 242 destroyed; and 746 livestock perished. Finally, in Gilgit-Baltistan, 2km of roads have been damaged and 52 bridges destroyed. The rains in the region have also left 200 homes partially damaged and 303 destroyed.
There is a new spell of rains forecast for Punjab from Aug. 25. The provincial government has already issued an advisory and urged locals to decamp to safer locations ahead of the expected deluge.