Monsoon rains continue in different parts of the country, more than 250 people have increased in total number of people killed. Many local tourists are still missing, Murari, Goliyat, Kashmir and Gilgit -Land slipped and river drains in Baltistan. A large flood of four and a half million cusecs is passing through Tunasa, the administration has announced to take the population to a safe place.
The motherland is undergoing a test these days, not only for natural disasters, but also the grief of our collective apathy. Heavy rains are not taking the name of stopping, and as a result, the devastation in our rural and urban areas is sufficient to shake any consciousness. Loss of human life, destruction of wealth, destruction of standing crops, collapse of houses and dilapidated presence of communication systems, not only shows us the mirror of power, but also a mirror of our shortcomings.
With the continuity of rain, the rivers of rivers have become worrisome. In particular, the Indus River, which has repeatedly destroyed Sindh with its uncontrollable waves in the past, can once again get angry, floods are not just water, but they take the form of waste of economy, severity of poverty and human tragedy. Farmers who are already dealing with inflation, water scarcity and agricultural intervention prices are now watching the fields drowning in the water.
Cities are falling roofs, roads have turned into drains and professional life is paralyzed. This rigor of the weather is not only the decision of nature, but it also includes the works of human self. By disrupting the natural system, we have heated the market for ourselves. In the race for urbanization, the natural routes of rivers were closed, forests were cut, mountains were excavated and water reservoirs were ignored, the result is in front of us today.
The level of rivers is increasing, especially the Indus River, which is considered to be the vein of Pakistan, is now becoming the center of waves of anger. The past testifies that when the Sindh flood breaks, its devastation is not only local, but its effect spreads to the country’s economy, food security and political environment.
This tragedy extends not only to Sindh, but Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit -Baltistan. Where the rain is getting fertile, where their intensity is more than the limit, the Earth also comes down to rebellion like humans. The soil starts cutting, the mountains start scratching, the trees are shaken by the roots and the settlements are mixed.
Permanent cleaning and monitoring system of rivers and rain routes should be strengthened. The situation of the drainage system within cities is very poor, especially in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Peshawar, the entire city is shown to be submerged in water due to a few hours of rain. This is not an accidental accident, but a story of poor planning, corruption and negligence, people who are suffering.
Financially, flood is a bad dream. On the one hand, agricultural land is submerged in water, and on the other hand farmers are drowning in their debt. Fertilizers, seeds, machinery and agricultural medicines are already touching the sky, when the crop is not forgiven even after destruction, the farmer does not justify living in this country. We have to create an agricultural and financial system that immediately supports the victims of natural disasters, so that they can join the race for life again.
Memories of devastating floods in 2010 and 2022 are still fresh. In the 2022 floods, only more than 800 deaths and 12.3 million people were affected in Sindh. At that time, 21 of the 23 districts of the province were declared disasters, crops standing millions of acres were destroyed, and thousands of schools, hospitals, roads and bridges were completely destroyed.
The question is, have we learned anything from these tragedies? Was there any comprehensive plan after 2022? Was the rain cleaned regularly? Was natural waterways removed in Sindh? Was the modern flood advance warning system effective? In fact, the answer to all these questions is “no”.
All districts of Sindh should be the first and most important step to make environmental mapping to determine which areas are sensitive to floods. In these areas, stopping the population regularly or implementing specific construction rules should be the top priority of the government.
The second step should be that the annual cleaning and repair process of drains, rain routes and the protective dams of the river should be completed not only with paperwork. In many districts of Sindh, specific routes for rainwater have been closed with encroachment and illegal construction. River recovering projects are immediately needed in affected areas. The third step is the formation and implementation of the Drainage Master Plan, especially in cities like Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur, where urban floods have become a permanent threat, if the government manufactures the drainage system of these three cities only on modern lines, half the problems will be solved.
The fourth important step is to promote small dams and rainwater harvesting systems in Sindh. In districts such as Tharparkar, Umarkot, Jamashoro and Dadu, if rainwater is stored, not only the risk of floods will be reduced, but will also have revolutionary benefits for drinking water and agriculture. Sindh educational institutions, mosques and community centers can be used as flood awareness centers. The public should be trained to take precautionary measures during the rains, where to take refuge, and which number to contact for help. This consciousness should be exposed not under time but under a continuous campaign.
It is required that the Sindh government prioritize measures against flood prevention and climate change in its development budget. In the provincial budget of 2024-25, the amount allocated for environmental protection was only 1.4 % of the total budget, which is not less than a joke. If we really want to change, we have to increase this ratio from 5 to 7 percent.
At the international level, Sindh, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Climate Risk Insurance Agencies require immediate partnership to seek assistance internationally. In 2022, with the help of UNDP and World Food Program, some projects were launched in Sindh, but they were insufficient and their scope was very limited. Not only the government, but people, media, educational institutions and business communities will all face this environmental challenge. This is the time, not the fee, but steps. Now we have to bury the negligence of the past and plan a future, otherwise it will rain every year, and we will flow with them.
We need to adopt a multilateral strategy to prevent floods. First of all we have to build dams and water regulation systems to restore the natural flow of water. Instead of doing politics only on controversial projects like Kala Bagh Dam, we have to build a consensus keeping in front of the national interest. Large and small dams will not only help in water storage, but they can also be a source of landslides, power generation and flood risks.
Now is the time for the government to give its top priority to flood prevention at all levels. It is not only about the bus of a ministry or institute, but a national emergency like all departments, departments and stakeholders. At the federal, provincial and municipal levels, integrated and harmonious strategies can only cope with floods such as demons.