KARACHI:
Much of Balochistan has come under water. According to reports, more than 100 people lost their lives with thousands of homes destroyed. Agricultural lands have also been affected badly. However, this is not the first time that the people of Balochistan are facing such a calamity, as destructive rains have been a regular feature for decades. Almost every year, we see the media reporting death and destruction, but images of poor and helpless people battered by rains and floods only evoke temporary concern.
Unfortunately, no governments have ever focused on any measures whereby rain damage could be curtailed to its lowest possible. The governments have never thought of equipping the authorities for handling the annual monsoon havoc. They only move after the disaster has struck — and that too not on the required scale. People’s lives are still at risk as they have nothing to eat and no shelter. Diseases are also feared to break out. Federal and provincial governments must gear up for immediate action to save people from further damage. There is an urgent need to set up camps for providing ration and medical aid.
Mobarak Faryad
Khuzdar
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2022.
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