A house in Balochistan that has been damaged by the recent bout of rains
Sindh on Monday reported the destruction of 1,979 houses due to floods over the previous 24 hours, while 122 homes were destroyed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, raising to 559,992 the total number of houses razed since this year’s monsoon spell began in mid-June.
According to information provided by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Sindh and Khyber-Pakhunkhwa continue to reel from the impact of floods, reporting loss of lives, homes, and livestock, even as conditions have started to stabilize in other parts of Pakistan due to a halt in the rains. It said the total number of casualties had climbed to 1,325, with 11 new deaths reported from Sindh—1 man, 2 women and 8 children. The total deaths confirmed due to rains from Sindh have now reached 522, with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa reporting 289; Balochistan 260; Punjab 189; Pakistan-administered Kashmir 42; Gilgit-Baltistan 22 and Islamabad 1.
The recent rains, per authorities, have left millions homeless, with the destruction and damage to houses continuing as floodwaters move downstream from the country’s north into Sindh, forcing the government to make hard choices about regions that must be flooded to protect heavily populated towns and cities. On Monday, the provincial government made planned cuts to the Manchar Lake embankment to reduce pressure on it and save areas such as Sehwan; but this had the adverse effect of causing flooding in more than 100 smaller villages of the region.
Earlier this week, the lake’s level rose to 124.3 reduced level against the “danger” level of 122RL. Authorities have already started evacuating residents of areas at risk of flooding, but rescue efforts are hampered by inundated roads, leaving boats and aerial sorties the only options.
Homes destroyed
Per the NDMA’s latest report, 1,688,005 homes have been partially damaged—1,128,013—or completely destroyed—559,992—since rains commenced in mid-June. Authorities have already warned that even houses that haven’t been destroyed are in a state where they may no longer be inhabitable. The millions left homeless have been sheltering on elevated roads or the roofs of their homes, with medical professionals warning that their exposure to the harsh sun and lack of adequate nutrition is boosting the risk of various diseases spreading among them.
Authorities also updated the number of livestock confirmed to have perished in the floods, saying at least 750,481 animals had been lost. Of these, the highest number remains in Balochistan, 500,000, though authorities stress this number is still tentative due to several parts of the province remaining cut off from the rest of the country following the collapse of connecting bridges and flooding on roads.
According to the National Highways Authority (NHA), in Balochistan the M-8 has been closed due to landslides in a 24km section of Wangu hills. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, it said, the N-95 had been blocked between Behrain-Ashrait and Laikot-Kalam section due to debris, while the N-50 had been partially reopened for traffic, except for a breached section of the Sagu bridge. In Sindh, the N-55 the Meher Johi Canal to Khairpur Nathan Shah road has been submerged underwater.
Relief efforts
Of the 81 districts declared “calamity-hit” by authorities, the NDMA said it had commenced a damage assessment of 16 districts—Qila Saifullah, Gwadar, Surab, Kharan, Dukhi, Qila Abdullah, Barkhan, Mustang, Musakhel, Sibi, Lasbela, Pishin, Khuzdar , Kohlu, Dera Bugti and Loralai. It said there were currently 636,940 people housed in relief camps—7,000 in Balochistan; 180 Gilgit-Baltistan; 69,902 Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; 10,852 Punjab; and 549,006 Sindh.
The disbursal of cash handouts of Rs. 25,000 to flood victims, under the Benazir Income Support Program, is also ongoing, with the NDMA saying
Persistent threat
According to the Federal Flood Commission (FFC), Tarbela Dam is currently at maximum storage, with a level of 1,550 feet and 5.827 Million Acre Feet of storage, while Mangla stands at 1,189.2 feet with 3.628 MAF, leaving 52.8 feet of level and 3.708 MAF storage. The Chashma Dam, it said, had remaining level of just 0.4 feet, with a current level of 648.6 of its 649 feet maximum. Of its maximum 0.278 MAF storage, it currently has 0.258, with a cushion of just 0.02 MAF.
The FFC also said that River Indus remained at High Flood Level at Kotri, while at Guddu and Sukkur it was in Medium Flood Level. Low to Medium Level flooding is expected in the nullahs of Rivers Ravi and Chenab, along with River Kabul and its tributaries during next 24 hours, it added.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued a weather advisory for the upper and central parts of the country, forecasting weak monsoon currents from Arabian Sea that could cause rain, with isolated heavy falls, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, northern Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir through today (Tuesday).