INTRODUCTION: Floods have been recognized
as a major natural calamity and the country has a long history of flooding
from the Indus river and its tributaries. Floods in Pakistan are mainly
caused by heavy concentrated rainfall in the catchments during the summer
monsoon season (July to September) which is augmented by snowmelt flows.
Rainfall during the period occurs due to the monsoonal systems (Lows or
depressions) coming either from the Arabian Sea or from the Bay of Bengal.
Flash floods triggered by torrential
rain have killed hundereds of people all over the province of NWFP , submerging
many villages and hundreds of houses, causing extensive damage to precious
lives and property. Roadside kiosks and shops were submerged, and water
lapped at the walls of buildings. Many of the industrial units have been
shut down and schools and colleges temporarily closed. Also Road traffic
remained suspended.
CHARSADA: On Thursday 27 July, five people were killed in and around the town of Charsadda, 29 km north-east of Peshawar, the provincial capital of (NWFP), as storm drains flooded the area and swept away dozens of houses. The gushing water that overshot the banks of River J endi, district Charsadda due to torrential rain caused havoc in the city, inundating more than 800 houses, taking along a large number cattle heads destroying standing crops up to 13 kilometers on both side of the river. The heavy flood swept dozens of villages of Charsadda district and more than 1600 families displaced. The displaced people are shifted to schools and camps. Clean drinking water is being supplied by Tehsil Municipal Corporation through a water tanker. The main roads to the Charsadda are clear but roads and one bridge destroyed at flood site. The loss of property was immense. 1 death reported due to roof collapse while more than 300 people got minor injuries. The worst hit areas of the floods were Hajiabad, Turangzai, Mahmood Abad, Kakar Korona, Umerzai, Palai Korona, Dakai, Amir Abad, and Zaim, where the residents were compelled to spend the late hours of the night out side their houses in open air despite of downpour. Pakistan Army is also supporting in the emergency response.
PM Shaukat Aziz visits flood-hit areas: On July 30 th , Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had an aerial view of flood-hit Charsadda, Tarbela and nearby areas on Sunday.The premier expressed grief over loss of lives and property in floods. He directed the administration to take necessary steps to save people's life and property. He was accompanied by Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Information and Broadcasting Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani and State Minister Tariq Azeem.
MANSEHRA: Similar havoc was inflicted on the quake-affected towns of Garhi Habibullah, Gul Dara and Balakot in NWFP's Mansehra district, as rains and landslides destroyed houses and shelters. Six people, including two women were killed and several went missing after the Kunhar River burst its banks submerging several houses in the area. In another incident, floods in the Karian area of Mansehra district washed away two women.
There were heavy rainfalls 2 days back at night which continued for hours and resulted into floods in river Kunhar. The rain water through a non perennial stream brought waste and debris into the river which blocked it and the water changed its direction resulting into flood in the area of Garihabibullah affecting 2-3 villages. At least 3 persons have been and 4 are still missing. Approximately 200-250 houses were damaged. Major bridge has been badly damaged and one side of the bridge is under water. There were heavy torrential rains and water came gushing down from left bank of the River Kunhar near to the Kashtra IDP camp. It washed away the houses and shops between Bassian and Garihabibulla. The major bridge to go to Gari Habibullah could not be used anymore. Only a narrow bridge and a small road could be used but dangerous and wet. The Kashtra camp has now become an island. The government is trying to restore the usual path of the Kuna River to minimize further risk of flooding in the area. For the purpose, excavators are working and three more are on the way. Kashtra camp is in imminent danger because the weather forecast says that there will be persistent rain for the next 6 - 7 days. Therefore, district authorities are moving Kashtra camp to the previous Jabba camp in Jabba. DCO Mansehra organized a meeting and asked for support i from all the organizations. A new camp will be established. In Kashtra camp there are approximately 500 individuals but the number would swell due to calamity or damage in other areas.
MARDAN : In one incident, a bridge collapsed on Saturday in the city of Mardan, 65 km from Peshawar, capital of NWFP, killing at least 100 people, police in the city said. An estimated 150 people had gathered on the bridge to watch surging floodwaters below when it was swept away. Many are still missing. Many of the bodies were trapped beneath the rubble of the bridge for hours as rescuers had little heavy lifting equipment. Most of Mardan remained flooded on Monday. "Almost 60 percent of the city is under water," said a police official, adding that most residents of the city were without electricity.
BANNU: Three people were killed and as many injured when their house caved in owing to heavy rain in the Mawardi Khel village of Bannu district . In union council Bazar Ahmed Bilalabad, Gandali Kotka and Sokari areas had been the worst affected.
KARAK: On 29 July 2006 it was reported that o ver 25 people wereswept away in flash floods in the Karak districtof the North WestFrontier (NWFP) province. District authorities told that the peoplehad gathered at a cattle fair at Tahat Nusrati area, when flashfloods gushing from nearby rainstorm drain overtook them andwashed away over 25 persons, out of which, one person wasretrieved alive, while the bodies of three were recovered. Karakpolice claimed that over all 10 bodies have been retrieved fromdifferent places during the relief operations.
MUZAFFARABAD: Also on Friday, a landslide obliterated four houses and six shops in a village close to Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, which was devastated by an earthquake last October. Around 12 temporary shelters in the nearby Jandala village were also flattened. The Neelum Valley Road winding through the mountainous region in northeast of Muzaffarabad is blocked for traffic for more than a week, with long patches having been wiped out by rains. The closure is threatening the lives of thousands of people living in upstream areas, including Lachrat region and valleys of Kutla and Neelum.
DIR: In a separate incident in Lower Dir district in NWFP, nine people, including six children, were killed when flash floods swept away a college, local media reported on Monday. A month of heavy rain in NWFP, Pakistani-administered Kashmir and the eastern province of Punjab has lifted river and watercourse levels.
CHITRAL: 31 July 2006: Flash floods in Kaldam gol Drosh, Shishi valley, south Chitral, destroyed/damaged 5 houses, 1 saw machine, PTV station, Mosque and religious Madrasa at Drosh. Main Peshawar Chitral road was blocked for 24 hours. Local authorities visited the flood affected area. They immediate distributed relief items and advised to pay compensation to the affected people.
GILGIT: On 28 July 2006 news agency reported that the flood occurred in Ghaddar, a village close to Gilgit, the main town in the Northern Areas, some 240 km (150 miles) north of the capital Islamabad . The floodwater washed away the Gilgit-Ghizer Road, suspending traffic to upper parts of Ghizer and Chitral. The flood has destroyed a long section of the Karakoram Highway between Jutal and Guru. Mudslides caused by heavy rain have rendered the road between Gilgit, Hunza, Nagar and China closed for two days. Communications between the northern mountain towns of Gilgit and Hunza were cut off on Thursday, while a power station near Gilgit was reportedly damaged after being struck by lightening. The monsoon rains and thunder storms that have continued for the past days over Punjab and NWFP have washed away a part of the Karakorum Highway that links Pakistan to China.
GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO FLOOD EFFECTEES:
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz placed the Pakistani army on high alert on Sunday, following reports of high water levels in the Indus River, that runs the length of the South Asian nation. People were being evacuated from the Nowshera, Mardan, Besham and Chaunsa districts of NWFP.
Earthquake relief camps that were closed in March had been reopened to help people escaping the rising waters in NWFP.
The military had been helping people hit by landslides and flash floods to move to safer locations.
Pakistan 's Metrological Office has predicted more heavy rain over the next three days.
The district government provided 200 tents, cooked and non cooked food and NFIs for 200 families. UNHCR will provide 500 tents and NRC 150 tents. Additional tents will be provided by others organizations.
District government provided 3 excavators to clear the debris in the river.
Education department committed to provide 200 boy scouts.
Civil Defence personnel/volunteers are standby and may also be utilized, if needed.
As Kashtra camp is not accessible through vehicles/road due to flood water and may have same kind of problems, therefore, the authorities have decided to shift the IDPs to Jabba camp and supply of clean drinking water and electricity will be assured. Since Jabba is the old camp, the electricity poles are there and needs only wiring and connection. External water system is also there and needs to be reconnected.
UNICEF, OXFAM and other partners will provide facilities for water purification and WHO will perform water quality testing.
WHO and District Health Department will work on prevention of expected out break of diseases.
District government requested the international community for assistance to cope with the situation.
WFP will distribute the food. DCO has requested WFP to extend their support of food to the people beyond Balakot for a couple of months.
Pakistan army is helping with the pitching of tents.
Transportation will be provided by the army.
Two mobile teams are working in the Kashtra camp.
The Jabba camp site will be leveled from the grass and the camp planner will work in collaboration with other partners so that tents could be pitched as soon as possible.
DCO together with the revenue department is doing the rapid assessment and till now there are 200 affected families.