Floods in Punjab: panic grips Balochistan
* Jafferabad residents say 2012 floods swept away all belongings * Teacher says waterborne diseases have taken many lives
By SafiUllah Shahwani

QUETTA: Pakistan remains a disaster-prone area as recent floods have repeatedly hit its various flood-prone districts, leaving the growers insecure.
The floods of 2010 and 2012 are counted major ones, which left Pakistan, especially the poverty-stricken districts reel under the worst human predicaments.
Floods have once again set off alarm bells in the country and have left many people dead, injured and the survivors homeless, food insecure and disease prone.
With the rise of the water levels and sweeping of many districts in Punjab, the flood-prone districts of Balochistan, Naseerabad and Jafferabad, are once again on the brink of a major disaster.
During a recent visit to Jafferabad, it was unearthed that the flood survivors were still struggling to stand on their feet. The children were highly food insecure and malnutrition complications had flooded hospitals. Growers are still unable to plough their land.
Ilahi Bakhsh, 32, a resident of Goth Goram Khosa Jafferabad, told Daily Times that before the floods of 2012 everything was going well but the floods swept away all his belongings. He said that he has three children whom he could feed properly due to a shortage of food.
“My children often fall sick and I am unable to treat them well. Government and NGOs did not make long-term efforts for the rehabilitation of the survivors. We are also running short of pure drinking water,” said Bakhsh and added that now they were rebuilding their homes themselves and did not want anything from the government.
Abdul Aziz, a teacher at Abdul Fateh Khosa Goth, said that the number of students reduced to 60 from 120 due to floods, adding that the water-borne diseases had taken the lives of many in the area and hepatitis B and C were major risks for children.
“You will find a patient of Hepatitis B or C in each home in the remote villages of the districts,” he added.
Hameed Ali of Goth Ghulam Hussain Khosa said that he had nine children and was facing acute food shortage. “Floods swept away all our cattle, live-stock and the standing paddy crops; we took debts to rehabilitate ourselves but to no avail as shortage of water in Pat Feeder Canal has changed cropping patterns have created problems for us,” he added.
Talib Hussain of the same area said he owned 50 acres of land but after the floods they were unable to grow their fertile lands again.
Living under such unforgiving circumstances, the people of Jafferabad remained more prone to the floods, which have already broken hell in Punjab and may enter these districts shortly. Therefore, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority should be put on high alert and the local administration should be equipped with all necessary measures to evacuate the population during emergency. The authority should also make good use of an early warning system and administrative coordination to reduce the chances of high human and property losses.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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