Monsoon fury isolates Baltistan region
When dusk meets monsoon, the sky broods in deep greys – a canvas for the dreamers but chaos for commuters. Clouds promise rain and poetry, but in Karachi, the verses come soaked in struggle, wearing the face of a traffic jam. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
Monsoon rains and flash floods continued to batter Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) on Friday, severing road links to entire districts, destroying homes, bridges and farmland, stranding hundreds of tourists and triggering shortages of food and fuel, as the region's government ordered emergency relief measures.
Floodwaters and landslides have cut off four districts of Baltistan Division and Astore from the rest of the region, while the Baltistan Highway has remained closed for a third consecutive day after an RCC bridge was washed away. Rising water levels in the Indus and Shyok rivers have further heightened fears. A section of the Deosai Road was also washed away after the Sadpara stream overflowed, while the alternative route linking Baltistan with the Karakoram Highway was closed to traffic.
According to the latest road situation, the Jaglot-Skardu Road remained blocked at the JSR section, while the Gilgit-Astore Road was closed due to flood damage, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded in Astore and Skardu.
However, the Karakoram Highway (N-35) from Islamabad to the Khunjerab Pass, the Babusar Road (N-15), the Gilgit-Shandur Road and the Astore-Skardu Road via Deosai remained open as of Friday evening. Authorities advised travellers to obtain the latest weather and road updates before setting out.
The prolonged road closures have disrupted supplies to several districts, with shortages of food items and petroleum products reported in Skardu, Diamer and Astore. Astore has remained without electricity for five days, while internet services have also been disrupted. Residents and stranded tourists are facing mounting difficulties as essential supplies continue to dwindle.
Floods have caused extensive destruction across Diamer district, where link roads and bridges were washed away in Tangir, Darel, Thor, Raikot and Goharabad. Floodwater entered residential areas, destroying agricultural land, standing crops and orchards.
In Thor Das Soniwal village, around 20 families were severely affected after the Indus River inundated their homes, sweeping away valuable belongings before the residents were shifted to safer locations.