Balochistan remains disconnected from rest of country

Gas, power supplies to Quetta, other parts of province stay suspended

QUETTA:

Balochistan remained disconnected from the rest of the country for the fifth consecutive day on Monday as rain-induced floods severely damaged road and rail infrastructure while gas and power supplies to Quetta and other parts of the province stayed suspended for the fourth day straight.

"Restoration of gas supply would take four to five days," an official of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) told The Express Tribune, adding that an SSGC technical team reached the flooded area via helicopter to start the repair work.

"The technical team is facing difficulties in the repair work," he mentioned.

The authorities also failed to restore power supply to Quetta and other parts of Balochistan as floods severely damaged 220kV transmission line in Bolan.

Floods across Balochistan left thousands of people homeless and they were in desperate need of support. Particularly, thousands of people had taken refuge along a highway in the Naseerabad Division.

"The entire (Naseerabad) division is flooded and inundated and there is no dry space," Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said.

He said Pakistan Army and the civilian administration launched a massive rescue and relief operation across Balochistan to shift the people to safe places.

"I admit that the people are still without shelter,” Bizenjo said, adding that the federal government approached the Turkish and Iranian governments to provide tents to the affected people.

"Currently, there are no tents," the CM told a group of journalists on Monday.

Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps (FC) and the civil administration evacuated hundreds of people on Monday in Naseerabad and shifted them to safe places.

"Military helicopters are engaged in the rescue and relief operation," the ISPR said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2022.