Despite the passage of seven days, the authorities are yet to restore gas and power supply to Quetta and other districts, causing great inconvenience and hardship to the local residents.
The situation is really bad in the far-flung districts where neither gas nor power is available to the consumers and floods have left the entire road infrastructure completely shattered.
Flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall wreaked havoc across Balochistan as the death toll climbed to 256, including women and around 75 children.
“We are trying level best and very soon, gas supply would be restored to Quetta,” a well-placed Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) official said, giving no exact timeframe for completing the repairs.
Similarly, a Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) spokesman said that the power supply can be restored within the next three days to Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.
Floods have damaged the 220 kv transmission line in Bolan. The suspension of the cellular services also added to the miseries of the flood-stricken people as they suffered difficulties in communicating with each other.
“There is no correct assessment of the damages caused by floods due to lack of internet and mobile services,” Malik Samandar Khan Kasi, a senior politician said.
Kasi said the government should restore the internet and mobile services so that the miseries of the flood-ravaged people could be highlighted and they should be supported.
On Thursday, the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps evacuated thousands of people to safer places in Balochistan’s Naseerabad division.
The area is completely flooded and it is very difficult for the rescue workers to keep relief operations going.
The Balochistan government declared Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Sohbat Pur, Jhal Magsi, and Kachhi calamity-hit districts.
Pakistan Army and the provincial government have established over two dozen medical camps in the flood-hit areas.
Thousands of people suffering from various diseases have been provided medical treatment, a statement issued by the Balochistan Director-General Health said on Thursday.
The government has also dispatched truckloads of medicines to the flood-battered districts.
“Our main concern is the spread of waterborne diseases in the aftermath of floods,” Balochistan Health Minister Syed Ehsan Shah told The Express Tribune.
He said an emergency was declared in all 26 districts to make sure the provision of timely and quality medical treatment to the patients.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2022.
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