PUNJAB was hit by catastrophic floods triggered by heavy rains and worsened by India’s release of water, prompting the provincial government to call in the army for a massive relief and rescue operation across several districts.
In extraordinary measures to save lives and protect critical infrastructure, authorities deliberately breached an embankment near the Qadirabad headworks on the Chenab River to ease pressure on the structure and reduce the water’s destructive force. Despite the intervention, vast areas remain inundated, including the Kartarpur Gurdwara, one of Sikhism’s holiest sites, where floodwaters entered the compound, disrupting pilgrimage activity and stranding dozens before rescue boats evacuated them.
No doubt, the federal and the provincial governments have mobilized maximum resources for rescue and relief activities in the affected areas but these do not match the scale of the disaster and the situation is complicating due to incessant rains in northern Pakistan and abrupt release of excessive water by India and that too without proper prior notice. This has prompted Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal to accuse India of using water as a weapon against Pakistan. Their remarks are reflective of the legitimate concerns of Pakistan as three trans-boundary rivers – Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej – have swollen to exceptionally high levels as a result of heavy rains in India and release of excessive amounts of water in these rivers by the Indian authorities. There is a well-established mechanism to convey flood data timely under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) but India is avoiding use of those mechanisms and instead communicates through normal diplomatic channels and that too in a delayed manner. Despite lack of required cooperation from India, loss of life has been minimized due to the timely decision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for evacuation of people from vulnerable areas. Over two hundred and ten thousand people and their livestock were moved to safer places and relief camps where food, medical and veterinary services are being provided.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also chaired an emergency meeting on Wednesday, directing the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to act swiftly on urban flood risks in Lahore, Sialkot, and Gujrat while maintaining early warnings and relief efforts across the province. In a bid to ensure uninterrupted public services, the prime minister ordered the Minister for Communications, Minister for Energy, Secretary Energy, and Chairman of the National Highway Authority (NHA) to immediately reach Lahore and coordinate with the provincial government. As in the case of KP and GB, Pakistan Army has also mobilized its resources to augment rescue and relief activities and use of helicopters has saved many precious lives whereas Army Engineering Corps is actively involved in efforts to help restore damaged infrastructure. As the water is moving towards Sindh, the Prime Minister has done well by emphasizing the need for early flood warnings in the province and calling on public representatives and officials to ensure timely evacuations and strict monitoring of relief efforts. A united national response is a key to alleviating sufferings of the affected people and rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure. However, it is all the more important to do concrete planning to mitigate the impact of such calamities in future. The statement of Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb that the country failed to present bankable projects to international donors, preventing the full materialization of pledges made in the aftermath of 2022 flash floods should serve as an eye opener for relevant authorities and departments. He also pointed out that while the Foreign Office will take up with India the issue of release of excessive water but why houses and hotels were built on the banks of rivers. Similarly, in view of the non-cooperative attitude of India, Pakistan should focus on the use of satellite technology to gather timely data about climatic changes and emergencies.
