Heavy rainfall

These days we hold a newspaper and a story of human loss is there due to heavy rainfall. Hundreds of people have been died in various rain related incidents following torrential downpours that have been lashing the country since past many weeks. The general prevailing concept is that government is not realizing the need to take practical steps to avert this disastrous situation which occurs every year. It seems we have become accustomed to see that the loss of innocent lives, collapse of houses, affected power supply system, blockade of roads, shortage of edibles and clean drinking water and scarcity of medicines in hospitals.
The emergency has been declared in many cities and army has been called in. The loss of human lives, livestock, crops and infrastructure is happening every year but no one can feel the wretchedness and helplessness of those who are even not provided drinking water for days. They are now without any shelter and watching their ripened harvests to be submerged and have to start their lives from the scratch.
We appreciate the present government for announcing huge amount of funds for relief activities in flood affected areas but the musing point here is that why the process of deliverance is being delayed? The visit of dignitaries’ to these areas just gives hope to miserable people; who have lost their lives’ negligible savings and assets in these disastrous floods. The mere spoken words are not enough for them that everything will be better soon with a magical wand rather they want something substantial.
Besides showing their oratory skills, there is a need to do something practically. The government should depute a special task force for rehabilitation activities. The persons at the helm of affairs should supervise the whole process themselves to make it speedy and transparent, along with this dedication and sincerity is must to bring relief to the deserving ones.
SABA ASGHER ALI
Lahore