SANGHAR:
As flash floods continue to wreak havoc all over Pakistan, me and my family have barely survived the dreaded spell of monsoon rains. My district, Sanghar, had completely drowned during the 2010-2011 floods. However, this year the locals were smart enough to temporarily block the flood water coming towards the city through unconventional means.
Still, every day we wake up with the fear that maybe the blockage has been compromised and that the flood water may indeed be headed our way. The saddest part of this entire fiasco is that people belonging to different political parties gather around this blockage every day and chant political slogans at the top of their lungs as if they are competing with one another on who can shout the loudest. It has been 12 years since the 2010-2011 floods, but the negligence of government officials and politicians is evident as no measures have been taken. The destruction caused by these floods will definitely take many rural areas back to the Stone Age. The less fortunate had already accepted their fate when their houses were wiped away, but they remain resilient and strong.
Perhaps our locals need to learn from flood-affected victims. Chanting political slogans will not help in deflecting the flood water. Politicians need to come out of their safe havens and chart out a long-term solution.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2022.
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