Gwadar, Jiwani submerged

QUETTA: Tens of thousands of houses collapsed and the entire modern port city of Gwadar as well as Jiwani were submerged in knee-deep water after torrential rains and flash-floods.

Civil engineers believe it may take months before water can be drained out from the old Gwadar city.

There were more devastations in Gwadar and Jiwani region than in Ormara where property and infrastructure damages were less by comparison before the cyclone bypassed Karachi and lashed Ketty Bandar on the Sindh coast.

More than 10,000 houses were damaged extensively in Gwadar. Almost all the dams were overflowing their banks and spillways were kept open to save the main structures of the dams.

However, man-made ‘bunds’ or improvised flood irrigation dams by individuals or moneyed men breached, causing flooding and obstructing vehicular traffic on some of the highways. Huge loss to property, standing crops and valuable agricultural land was reported. The only beneficiaries were the owners of grazing ground, hoping for greener pastures in the future.

There was no electricity for the third consecutive day in Gwadar and there is no hope that the power supply will be restored in the next three days. Similarly, there is shortage of everything – food, water and other essentials.

The coastal highway from Ormara to Jiwani, a distance of more than 250 miles, is under water and is believed to have been destroyed completely in flash floods. There are five major seasonal rivers crossing the coastal highway and all the rivers were in high spate carrying hundreds of cusecs of water to the downstream or to the Arabian Sea.

Local fishermen confirmed that they also lost hundreds of fishing vessels, boats and un-mechanized boats in high tidal waves from Lasbela coast to Jiwani. Fewer number of fishing boats were taken to safer places.

Only a few hundred people were given relief supplies as those in the remote parts of the coastal region did not get any food. The government made no efforts to help the marooned people in Dasht and other low-lying areas of central Mekran.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan chief minister had allocated Rs50 million as initial grant to help provide relief supplies to the affected people. The provincial cabinet also announced a donation of a month’s salary for the cyclone-affected people. There was no announcement from the federal government or the Prime Minister.

Before the cyclone entered Sindh coast, it lashed the Lasbela coast causing heavy rains in Uthal, Damb, Sonmiani, Vindar and Gadani. Special measures were taken at the biggest ship-breaking yard at Gadani where huge ships are anchored. They were chained lest they went adrift into the high seas.

The entire Gadani coast, a picnic spot for Karachiites, had been secured and people were not allowed by the police to come close. Fishing and swimming was also banned.

For the first time, there was no major loss of life during the cyclone as people had taken precautionary measures.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2010.