Pakistan’s disaster body warns of more rain, flooding as monsoon death toll hits 320

People wade through flood waters after heavy monsoon rains in Multan on August 30, 2024. (AFP)

• Authorities in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province warn of flooding in Ravi, Chenab and Indus rivers
• An official in Balochistan also reports flash floods in districts like Chaman, Qila Saifullah, Kach and Kalat

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday warned of flooding in the Punjab and Balochistan provinces, informing that 320 people have lost their lives since the beginning of the monsoon in July, while anticipating more rain in the next 24 hours.
Monsoon rains are crucial for Pakistan’s agrarian economy, providing essential water for crops and replenishing water reservoirs. However, the country has been experiencing increasingly erratic weather patterns, including heatwaves, droughts and flooding, which are widely attributed to climate change.
The unprecedented rains during the 2022 monsoon season were a stark reminder of these changes, resulting in nearly 1,700 deaths and causing estimated losses of over $35 billion.
The NDMA anticipated more rains, gusty winds and thundershowers in most parts the country on Wednesday.
“Scattered thunderstorm rain of moderate intensity with isolated heavy falls is expected over the upper catchments of all major rivers along with Islamabad & Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, DG [Dera Ghazi] Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, DI [Dera Ismail] Khan, Zhob, Loralai, Sibbi, Mirpur Khas, Larkana, Sukkur, Nasirabad and Kalat divisions,” the NDMA said in its situation report.
FLOODS
Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab Irfan Ali Kathia said local administrations were put on alert and asked to take citizens living near the areas that could be affected by floods to safe places in advance.
“In the next 24 hours, there is a possibility of rain in most of the districts of Punjab, and due to the rains in the upper areas, there is a fear of increasing the flow of water in the rivers,” the PDMA statement said.
“There is a risk of low-level floods in the Indus River, while there is a risk of flooding in the rivers adjacent to the River Chenab and Ravi,” it added.
Meanwhile, Younus Mengal, head of the PDMA Balochistan’s control room in Quetta, said flash floods had been reported from various districts, including Qila Abdullah, Chaman, Qila Saifullah, Kach, Kalat and Khuzdar.
Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also warned of heavy downpours, windstorms and lightning, saying they could affect daily routines and lead to the collapse of weak structures, including rooftops, walls, electric poles, billboards and solar panels.
The provincial administration also informed that due to heavy rains and landslides, the Thal to Kumrat road in Upper Dir had been closed to all types of traffic at various locations.
The monsoon currents are still penetrating Pakistan as the regional meteorological center in Karachi said during the day, saying they were entering eastern parts of the Sindh province.
“As a result, thunderstorms with moderate to isolated heavy rainfall are likely in the districts of Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar, Badin, Thatta, Jamshoro, Dadu, Matiari, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Khairpur,” the center said in a statement.