Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

will the government learn something from the past deadly floods, will they show a better/timely response this time?

I guess we already know the answer to that.

**QUETTA: Flooding in the province of Balochistan has left at least half a million people marooned, besides destroying over 2,000 house,
Chief Secretary of Balochistan Babar Yaqoob Fateh said on Saturday.
**
Torrential rains and flash floods in Naseerabad and Jaffarabad districts have caused damage,
destroyed standing crops on thousands of acres completely washed away road network.

“Dera Allah Yar, Dera Murad Jamali, Sohbat pur, Manjopur, Manjoshori areas are still under two to six feet of water,

increasing the plight of the thousands of families living in these areas,” he said while talking to reporters at the Provincial Disaster Management Auhtority’s office in Quetta.

Yaqoob said that he had contacted his counterpart in Sindh and asked him not to divert water
from Jacobabad towards Balochistan as it would worsen the situation in the country’s largest province.
“We are in contact with the Sindh government to avoid more losses in Balochistan,” he said.
The provincial official said that losses caused by the flash floods and hill torrents in northern and

southern Balochistan were so huge that the provincial government alone could not cope with the calamity.

“International humanitarian organisations, federal government and philanthropists should come forward and assist us in the relief and rehabilitation process,” Babar said.

Expressing concern over the spread of water-borne diseases and scarcity of food and potable water,
he said that provincial government was fighting the challenge by utilising all its available resources.

He said that PDMA, provincial government, Army and FC were engaged in the rescue and relief operation
as six Army helicopters and 18 boats were shifting the flood-affected families to relief camps set up in the Naseerabad and Jaffarabd districts.

Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed | DAWN.COM

My thoughts and prayers are with flood affectees In Balochistan/Sindh.

2

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

unfortunately this has become an yearly occurrence now, i believe DG Khan and maybe some areas of Sindh are also affected. Lets hope the government repatriates the affected people as soon as possible.

3

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

since, 2010, Pakistan flooding every year. and the most unfortunate part is there are still people from 2010 floods who are homeless and displaced.

So far 78 people are killed and thousands left homeless!

I remember reading in one of Dawn articles. that our flood forecasting system is inaccurate. can you believe that? no wonder, why they couldnt really prepare people for the disaster.

4

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

**Sukkur city has turned into a dirty version of Venice’

**
“Sometimes I feel that we are not human beings because we don’t have any rights in this country,” she said bitterly. “Poor people take birth in terrible conditions, lead wretched lives and die miserable deaths.”

**SUKKUR: ****A putrid, nauseating smell permeated the air on Saturday in Sukkur city, especially at Bakhar Chowk, Shalimar, Jail Road and Numaish Chowk, as sewage festered in the stagnant rainwater. The clouds have vanished from the sky, and the sun cooks everything below.
**
In these conditions, the city’s residents wait impatiently for some respite, agitated that they cannot move about freely because of the dirty water. Though efforts to drain water are underway in areas, such as Royal Road and Jeay Shah Chowk, they have been sluggish at best. Many other parts of the city are still submerged.

**“It is the first time in my life that I have seen people using boats to go from one locality to another. The power has been out for three days now – it’s a nightmare,” said Kamran, a 28-year-old man who lives in a house on Royal Road. “Our neighbourhood has turned into Venice, but the water is quite dirty,” **he quipped, laughing at his own misery.

A young woman living near Latif Park had a similar tale to tell. “I have never seen so much water accumulate in this area in my entire life,” she told The Express Tribune. “The ground floor of our house is completely submerged and all our furniture has been ruined.” She said that the rainwater had also rushed into her father’s grocery store at Tonga Stand and swallowed almost all of its contents, causing a huge loss.** “We are afraid that the stagnant rainwater might cause an epidemic,” she added.
**
Husna, a frail, elderly woman, sat at her doorstep, waiting for her daughter to return from work with something to eat. She was famished as she had not eaten over the past three days.** “Sometimes I feel that we are not human beings because we don’t have any rights in this country,” she said bitterly. “Poor people take birth in terrible conditions, lead wretched lives and die miserable deaths.”** Majid Ali Shah, who runs a flour mill at Royal Road, said that the area had been under four feet of water for the last five days. “The water was everywhere,” he told The Express Tribune. “My mill and house are under water. I’ve suffered a huge loss,” he said, pointing angrily towards a pile of soggy grain discarded on the road. “I have thrown it out on the road for the cows and buffaloes to eat. The administration has failed. If they had made sincere efforts from the very first day, the water would have been pumped out long ago.”
Ghulam Ali, who sells pakoras at Numaish Chowk, said, “About four feet of water has accumulated in my neighbourhood and we find it difficult to go on with our daily activities. Four people, including a girl, were electrocuted in our locality.” “My wife works in two houses and brings some leftover food. We cannot cook anything because water is still standing in my house,” said Ali. **“Labourers who earn on daily basis have been affected the most by the rains. They can’t eat when they don’t earn.

‘Sukkur city has turned into a dirty version of Venice’ – The Express Tribune](http://tribune.com.pk/story/437434/sukkur-city-has-turned-into-a-dirty-version-of-venice/)**

5

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

and PPP is dreaming to cash votes from Sindh. I really hope and pray that people of Sindh do not vote this party.

6

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

^ I have seen reports 2-3 months back that there will be flooding this year too, the problem i think is that the government has not fully secured the bunds to prevent flooding.

7

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

exactly, there are many teachniques/measures one could take to prevent flood or divert floodwater. but this unwillingness on govt part has cost us so much damage and loss of innocent lives.

8

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

Pakistan no where prepared for another disaster.m.guardian.co.uk

9

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

It happens b/c nationalists are opposed to building anything in Baluchistan. They'd rather seen 100s of people drown than let "Punjabi establishment" build any kind of flood management system.

10

Re: Flooding maroons 500,000 in Balochistan; 2,000 houses destroyed

^ the role of nationalists is negative no doubt, although they should ideally support any development initiatives for their people. The role or provincial governments like Punjab and sindh also lack vision and planning too, as even south Punjab is flooding every year since 2010. The problem being all these areas are inhabited by the poor and hence don't matter much in the grand scheme of things.