In the Punjab province of Pakistan, the worst flooding in decades is underway as more than 1,400 villages are flooded as rivers such as the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab all burst their banks at the same time, and have never previously been as high. Since June alone, the crisis has taken at least 835 lives in the country with 195 of them being in Punjab alone.
Monsoon loads of water, increased by water flows out of Indian dams as well as a breach in an Indian barrage have made things worse. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) says it has evacuated close to 600,000 individuals, and 450,000 animals. Nevertheless, a good portion of residents are left to hang, in need of food, clean water and medical supplies.
To counter this, the Punjab government has embarked on controlled bursts of major flood bunds so as to channel overflowing waters. Distribution of relief is ongoing and is assisted by the military, Rescue 1122 and local entities. Irrespective of these efforts, challenges still remain based on infrastructure destruction and continued rain.
Epidemics have also been an issue of concern due to the floods, and cholera and hepatitis have been reported among other water borne diseases in the flood prone regions. The local communities together with other organisations such as Alkhidmat Foundation are taking to the streets to offer help and assistance to the needy.
This tragedy highlights the necessity of better methods of flood management and interactions between countries in order to deal with the problems of climate change and transnational water problems.
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