Rains wreak havoc across country, Rescue, relief work ongoing

 

Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps (FC) troops on Thursday assisted the civil administration with rescue and relief efforts in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab as monsoon rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country. 

The relentless wet weather has pummeled the country as well as destroyed infrastructure in rural areas and cities. Earlier this month, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman had said the 30-year average for rainfall in Sindh and Balochistan had been broken. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that climate change was an “undeniable reality” of our time and posed serious consequences for developing countries like Pakistan. 

     “Our ongoing floods and torrential rains need to be seen from that angle,” he said, promising that the government was aligning its development goals with climate change requirements. 

Baluchistan 

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), 106 people in Balochistan lost their lives and over 60 were injured in the downpours since June 1. Additionally, more than 6,000 houses were damaged of which 3,000 were completely destroyed, the authority said. 

On Wednesday, a large number of people were marooned in the Lasbela district due to flooding which had submerged a vast area. Residents of Jhal Magsi, Oraki, and Gandawah areas were also rendered homeless after their houses were carried away. 

In a statement issued today, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that two army aviation helicopters had been flown to Othal and Lasbela areas from Karachi. The ISPR said that the helicopters had made similar attempts during the last 48 hours but could not fly due to “bad weather conditions”. 

        “The helicopters will now shift stranded people to safer places and also transport necessary relief items,” the statement said. 

        “General officer commanding at Gwadar visited Othal area to oversee rescue and relief efforts. Today, senior local commander at Khuzdar will visit flood affected areas of Khuzdar and surroundings,” it added. 

The ISPR said that ground rescue and relief teams were busy in Othal, Jhal Magsi in shifting people to safer places and providing food and water to local residents. 

          “Doctors and paramedics are providing medical care to affected people,” the military’s media affairs wing said. 

The coastal highway has been opened for all kinds of traffic. Efforts are in hand to repair the damaged communication infrastructure and restore utilities, the ISPR said, adding that the protection bund in Turbat had been repaired after it was breached. 

Sindh

The ISPR added that apart from dewatering efforts in Karachi, army troops were busy in relief efforts in Jamshoro and Gharo areas. 

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah declared rain-hit areas of the province as calamity-hit areas. In a meeting, which was headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif via video link, the CM briefed that the province had received unprecedented rainfall this year. He said that Karachi had recorded 556 mm of rain alone. Shah regretted that 93 people had died and 59 injured in the rains so far. Apart from this, he went on, the rains also caused massive damage to infrastructure, especially in the metropolis.

           “Three bridges were broken in West and Malir districts. Major roads such as the EBM Causeway and Crossing Causeway sustained severe damage.” 

Over 15,000 houses were damaged across the province, while crops spread over 89,213 acres were badly affected, he told the meeting. 

Shah added that the PDMA was assisting relief work in the province. However, he highlighted, more rains were expected in Balochistan in the upcoming days which would increase the pressure on Hub Dam. 

     

“More rains in the Kirthar range will increase water flow in Qambar-Shahdadkot, Dadu and Jamshoro,” he pointed out, adding that the water level at Guddu barrage was expected to rise as well. Shah requested the prime minister to help the provincial government with compensating the families of those who had lost their lives due to the rains. He also urged the premier to delay the collection of agricultural loans for a year in calamity-hit areas. 

Punjab 

The ISPR also said that troops were assisting the civil administration in relief efforts in Dera Ghazi Khan due to “flash flooding/ hill torrents”. 

Two medical camps have been established by the army to provide medical care to the locals affected by the floods, it said. 

Six villagers lost their lives when violent currents of a hill torrent breached a protection dyke in Dera Ghazi Khan late on Tuesday night.