Monsoon rains may cause urban flooding, Senate panel told

ISLAMABAD: The new spell of monsoon rains may cause urban flooding, flash flooding and river tributary overflow in the country.

Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik briefed this to the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination in its meeting on Tuesday.

Heavy, moderate, and scattered rainfall is expected in various cities of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan between July and August, he said.

Under the influence of this system, rains may also trigger landslides and mudslides in upper KP, GB and AJK, he added.

The monsoon system is expected to enter Pakistan from India, and by the end of July and in August, KP and Punjab will likely be more affected by heavy rainfall, with Punjab being the focal point, the Senate panel was briefed.

Sindh and eastern parts of Balochistan were set to receive a fresh spell of monsoon rain on July 8-9, while upper and central parts of the country, including Rawalpindi and Islamabad, would expectedly be receiving rains from July 10 to 15, the Senate panel was further briefed.

Committee’s Chairperson Sherry Rehman said the capacity of Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) and other provincial and regional bodies should be increased to prevent disasters.

The committee recommended that federal and provincial departments work in coordination to respond to the challenges posed by monsoon rains.

Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa briefed the committee that 22 forest fire incidents took place in Margalla Hills in just over a month; from this May 2 to June 13.

Eleven cases were lodged against the suspects but only three individuals were apprehended. The total area damaged by the forest fire is 250 acres, he said.

The committee termed as alarming the rising incidents of fire in the Margalla forests. It asked the CDA and Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) to take joint measures to prevent fire incidents.

Committee members including Zarqa Suharwardhy-Taimur, Shibli Faraz, Bushra Anjum Butt, Naseema Ehsan, Manzoor Kakar, Palwasha Khan, Qurat-ul-Ain Marri, and government officials concerned attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024