Islamabad/Peshawar:
At least 79 people, including 38 children, have died in floods and rain -related incidents, including landslides and house collapses, since June 26, the National Disaster Management Authority said Tuesday.
The authority issued fresh alerts for sudden floods and bursts of glacial lakes in the northern and northwest provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing “a significant increase in temperatures and … an upcoming weather system.”
Two children drowned in the Indo River in the district of Torghar and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mansehra Nullah Nullah Nullah, while the Karakoram road was blocked due to the heavy landslides of earth in the Glar-Gligit-Baltistan farm and the Mola Dad Pari area on Tuesday.
Due to a significant increase in temperature, snow acceleration and glacier fusion have caused sudden floods and landslides in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa stands as the most vulnerable province in Pakistan to the crisis of the current monsoon, revealing critical weaknesses of infrastructure and governance gaps that intensify the impact of the disaster.
Despite the repeated devastation of floods, KP continues lacks adequate water management systems, the application of construction laws and sustainable disaster preparation, leaving its exposed and fragile communities.
As Pakistan faces another season of unpredictable monsoon, the death toll has constantly increased in the last 10 days. Although deaths have been reported in the four provinces, KP has been more affected, with more than 29 lost lives, many wounds and extensive destruction to infrastructure, especially in its economic centers.
The poor KP infrastructure to control excess water results in fatal floods and water -related accidents.
The Department of Meteorology of Pakistan has issued generalized warnings, predicting rain until July.
Some of the worst affected areas, Swat, Kalam and Chitral are among the main tourist places of KP. These regions depend largely on tourism for economic survival, since the impressive mountains and rivers attract visitors who support local media.
Tragically, these natural characteristics that attract tourism also combustive recurrent floods, destroying roads, bridges, hotels and whole peoples. These disasters not only interrupt tourism; They devastate the livelihoods and local economies, while the injured land makes rescue and reconstruction efforts difficult. Despite frequent destruction, effective preventive measures are still lacking.
Other KP parts suffer from damaged roads and agricultural losses. In the Mohmand district, heavy rains annihilated cattle and crops during the night. Flooded roads have isolated communities, as in Kandia Tehsil, cutting transport and trade, while energy cuts worsen the crisis.
Forecast
The Department of Meteorology of Pakistan (PMD) has predicted the generalized activity of rain/tram wind throughout the country on Tuesday, with isolated falls in several regions such as Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, the northeast of Baluchistan and Islamabad.
The Department has issued to Warning for Heavy to Vary Heavy Rainfall Between July 7-8, which may generate flash floods in local streams and nullahs in murree, galliyat, mansehra, kohistan, abbottabad, buner, chitral, dir, swat, shangla, now Swabi, Mardan, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Hill Torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, Northeast Punjab, and parts of Baluchistan, including Barkhan, Kohlu, Muse Khel, Dera Bugti, Lorealai, Zhob, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela and others.
Earth landslides and landslides can alter road access in vulnerable mountain areas of KP, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir during the wet spell. In addition, urban floods are likely to be in low areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera and Peshawar. The authorities have advised the public to take precautionary measures.
In Islamabad, cloudy skies with intermittent rain and strong isolated showers are expected.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, generalized rains are probable in Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Shangla, Battagram, Buner, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Mansehra, Banitabad, Banim and Dera Ismail Khan.
In Punjab, the rain with isolated heavy falls is expected in Murree, Galliyat, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Atock, Chakwal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Nanowal, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Mandi Bahauddin, Chinint, Okara, Okara, Sahiwal, Sahiwal, Sahiwal, Sahiwal, Jhore, Tokhupura, Kasur, Mandi Bahauddin, Chinast, Okara, Sahiwal, Jhor. Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Khushab, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Layyah, fine, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Kot Addu, Rahim Yar Khan and DG Khan.
In Sindh, a mainly warm and very humid climate is expected in most districts. However, rain or light drizzle can occur in isolated places along the coast, including Karachi.
In Baluchistan, warm and humid conditions will prevail in most areas, although probably rain and thunderstorms are in isolated places in Barkhan, Kohlu, Musakhel, Dera Bugti, Lorealai, Zhob and nearby regions. Strong falls can occur in isolated places during the forecast period.
In Kashmir, a cloudy climate is expected with intermittent rain and isolated heavy falls. It is likely that Gilgit-Baltistan will remain partially cloudy with rainfall and thunderstorms.
The highest temperatures recorded were: Nokundi (46c), Chilas (45c), Dalbandin (44c), while Gilgit, Jacobabad, Khairpur, Okara and Noor Pur Thal recorded at 41c.
With additional contributions from agencies
