Battered by rains and floods
Sindh and Punjab are both facing the ravages of nature which have been intensified by human neglect. In Sindh, a fresh spell of rains has led to widespread devastation. Last month, heavy rains displaced 1.8 million people and landed another one lakh in camps despite the damage being mostly confined to three districts. Now with fresh rains during the last three days, a much vaster area is affected. The rains have caused flash floods which have entered several villages and towns. Miles of canals are flooded and roads have been damaged. In other areas, the devastating rains have levelled mud houses, submerged thousands of acres of agricultural land and forced people to seek shelter.
In Punjab, heavy rains have caused destruction in two districts while some others are likely to suffer in case the rainy season continues for a few more days as predicted by the Met office. In Rahimyar Khan, a rainstorm has caused several structures to collapse, causing serious injuries to dozens of people. Meanwhile, the water discharge in the river Sutlej has reached 52,000 cusecs, flooding several villages. Water levels in the canals have increased to an alarming level. Dozens of villages around Vehari have been flooded while crops on thousands of acres of land were also ruined.
The devastation caused by rains and floods leads to human suffering. What is more, the loss of crops can have a negative impact on the national economy also. The government has to ensure that the impact is minimised. There are universal complaints of the irrigation department neglecting its duty to repair the canals before the onset of the monsoons. This has led to breaches in canals and dykes in both the provinces, causing widespread inundation and the destruction of crops and houses. What is equally disastrous is the failure to evacuate the population and their livestock on time. Those affected are generally reluctant to be evacuated because in the absence of proper transport they cannot remove the few household goods and the live stock they possess. Similarly, relief camps set up often lack the basic requirements including potable water, adequate rations and fodder for the animals. With mosquitoes breading in rain and flood affected areas, the evacuees have to be provided proper medical facilities.
