Pakistan: Anger brews in Balochistan as flood-affected people seek relief

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Anger is brewing among the people of Pakistan’s Balochistan province as thousands of people in far-flung areas are still waiting for help from the government and welfare groups after devastating floods.

With the land routes of several districts with other areas remaining cut off due to the washing away of bridges and link roads, hundreds of people in the Awaran district protested on Sunday against the administration’s failure to launch relief operations, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Protesters gathered in Awaran and chanted slogans against the district administration as they alleged that relief goods sent to them were distributed to other areas, the report added.

“Standing crops and date orchards have been destroyed by floods and people were deprived of their livelihood,” Obaidullah Umrani, a local Balochistan Awami Party leader told Dawn.

On Saturday, six more people were killed due to heavy rains and floods in Balochistan, bringing the total tally of dead to 176.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said 176 people have been reported dead amid the heavy rains and floods in the province. The total includes 77 men, 44 women and 55 children, local media reported.

Deaths were reported in Bolan, Quetta, Zhob, Dakki, Khuzdar, Kohlu, Kech, Mastoong, Harnai, Qila Saifullah and Sibbi.

The authorities said more than 18,000 homes were damaged or demolished due to the floods in the province. Tube wells, solar panels and other forms of communication are severely damaged due to the rains.

Disastrous spells of monsoon rains have led to severe damage on six different highways with 670 km length and 16 bridges, PDMA said. Additionally, 1,98,461 acres of crops were destroyed amid the natural disaster.

Balochistan in particular has seen uncharacteristically heavy rains during the monsoon season this year.

Amidst the ongoing devastation and wreckage caused by heavy rains and floods in different parts of the country, the Pakistan federal government has warned of more rains in the coming weeks as the federal cabinet declared a “monsoon emergency” in the country.

Pakistan’s weather department predicts the country will experience more rains in the coming week. Islamabad, Kashmir, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh will receive heavy rainfall in the coming days.

“Balochistan recorded more than 600 per cent above-normal rainfall during these monsoon spells since mid-June while Sindh received 500 per cent more rain. Major cities are being warned against urban flooding, prolonged electricity outages, and flash floods,” said Pakistan federal minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman.

Rehman said that the effects of climate change continue to exacerbate in the country as it experienced lengthy heatwaves and forest fires. (ANI)