In the backdrop of last year’s floods, Pakistan has lost a lot in terms of agricultural revenue and had a bitter experience of destruction of roads and displacement of masses. The country’s economy was already consumed by problems of inflation and terrorism and these floods did it no favours. In an agrarian society like Pakistan, constant flow of water is as important as blood in the human body.
The 2010 floods had a pervasive impact on Pakistan and, in the long run, have set Pakistan back by decades, weakened its economy and put a burden on its military, which is already embroiled in security issues. There is a need of taking preemptive measures of management before any disaster of the same nature takes place. The destruction of floods can be reduced by terracing the hill sides, by planting more trees, constructing large dams, canals, dikes, and flood banks. The government should do more visible work in disaster relief and create consensus for the construction of dams, at the time when we are already suffering an electricity shortfall of 5200 MW. Besides that, we need huge water reservoirs and canals as water flow corridors. In the context of Pakistan, the construction of large dams is seen as a remedy for the issue.
Hence, timely action can mitigate the impact of such natural disasters in the future.
SYED ALI RAZA SHAH
Islamabad
