Deadly weather

In recent years, we have faced too many natural disasters. We need to work out a scheme to manage calamities better.

Nature is a force man has little power against. But even so, modern technology allows at least for early warnings to be given, which is a big blessing as lives can be saved by evacuating people. This indeed happened recently in the Qurqulti Village of the Ghizer Valley —located about 150 kilometres from Gilgit — as heavy downpours triggered avalanches and landsides, sweeping away at least ten houses and covering others with thick layers of mud. However, despite warnings, at least nine people lost their lives. Villagers concede that they were cautioned, but said that they had little idea of where to go, with no help given with evacuations. The heavy downpours began early this week with 33 millimetres of rain recorded.

Gilgit was not the only area to experience the wrath of nature. In Chitral district in Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa, five women from the same family were killed in another avalanche in a remote village. The area has been lashed by heavy rains for some days. Furthermore, a key link bridge has been washed away. In Gilgit, too, several roads have vanished under mud, cutting off entire villages. The lack of communication certainly aggravates the woes of people trapped in far off areas. In recent years, we have faced too many catastrophes; too many natural disasters. We need to work out a scheme to manage such calamities better. The issues we have seen have been the same over and over again. There is a frequent reluctance on the part of people to leave homes, partially because inadequate arrangements are made to offer them shelter and partially because they so often choose not to leave their homes and lands behind. However, this situation needs to improve. The lives of people must occupy first place on the list of priorities, and where necessary, local elders or others with influence persuaded to convince them to move. We must, in the face of nature’s fury do more to save human life at all costs.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2012.