Glacier melting raises flood, landslide fears

Poses threat of closure of key highways in northern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

Rising temperatures and an intense heatwave across the country have accelerated glacier melting, significantly increasing the risks of landslides and floods in northern and mountainous regions.

The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an alert regarding the expected weather situation across the country from May 26 to May 31.

According to the NDMA, temperatures in most parts of the country are expected to range between 40 and 48 degrees Celsius, while Sindh, Balochistan and southern Punjab are likely to remain under the grip of severe heatwave conditions.

On the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the NDMA has initiated a review of nationwide preparedness measures in view of the potential threats.

Under NDMA directives, provincial disaster management authorities have started precautionary measures, including public awareness campaigns, deployment of emergency response teams, establishment of cooling centres and improvement of medical facilities.

According to the report, glaciers in Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and other mountainous areas are melting rapidly due to the extreme heat, increasing the likelihood of landslides and flooding.

The NDMA has identified a high risk of landslides in Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit, Chilas, Astore, Shigar, Chitral, Kalam, Upper Kohistan and several areas of Azad Kashmir.

The authority warned that connecting roads between Shimshal, Attabad Lake, Karimabad, Gulmit, Shishkat Bala and Passu could be affected by landslides while closure of the Karakoram Highway, Shigar Valley Road, Skardu Road and Deosai Road is also feared.

Meanwhile, rapid glacier melting and possible glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) may trigger flood situations in several areas, including Darkot, Lasht, Reshun, Booni, Badswat, Shisper, Gilgin, Hinarche, Roshan and Kumrat.

The NDMA further warned that hill torrents and rivers could overflow while flood threats also persist in Hunza, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Ghanche, Shigar, Chitral, Dir, Swat and Kohistan.

In Sindh, Jacobabad, Qambar Shahdadkot, Dadu, Jamshoro, Khairpur, Sanghar, Umerkot, Sukkur, Ghotki and Mirpurkhas are expected to remain severely affected by the heatwave.

Similarly, Chagai, Washuk, Kharan, Turbat, Sibi, Nasirabad and Jaffarabad in Balochistan are also likely to experience extreme temperatures.

In Punjab, temperatures are expected to rise further in Multan, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Muzaffargarh, Bhakkar, Layyah, Lahore, Sahiwal and Kasur.