Floods ravage Pakistan's heartland, killing over 1,000
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The worst monsoon floods in living memory have killed around 1,100 people and affected over two-and-a-half million in northwest Pakistan
This year’s monsoon has prompted the worst flooding in Pakistan in living memory, already claiming the lives of around 1,000 people. The UN scrambled to provide food and other assistance to some 3.2 million affected people in a nation already struggling with problems of militancy and a poor economy.
After causing huge destruction in Pakistan’s volatile northwest, floodwaters swamped villages and urban centres in Punjab, the richest and most populous province. The army used boats and helicopters to move stranded villagers in the area to higher ground. Water levels were so high in Kot Addu and nearby Layyah in the south of the province that only the tops of trees and the uppermost floors of buildings were visible.
Military spokesman Maj Gen Nadir Zeb told reporters on August 4, 2010, that at least 30,000 people had been rescued from flood-hit zones in Kot Addu and nearby areas. He warned that more flooding was expected as weather forecasts predicted rains over the next few days.
The monsoon in Pakistan usually lasts about three months, through mid-September. In a typical year, the country gets an average of 137 mm of rainfall during the season. This year, it has already received 160 mm, said Muhammad Hanif, head of the National Weather Forecasting Centre in Islamabad.
Punjab in the country’s east and Sindh province in the south should expect significant rainfall, he added.
Meanwhile, eight people were killed as heavy rains continued to lash north India since Sunday. Uttarakhand bore the brunt, with 48 hours of non-stop rain -- a 44-year record -- throwing life out of gear, washing away important roads, and affecting traffic.
While the incessant rain claimed six lives in Uttarakhand, two people died in rain-related incidents in Uttar Pradesh where overflowing rivers created a flood-like situation in various districts, official sources said. The authorities have issued an alert in the border districts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh after the Ganga crossed the danger mark in Haridwar on Saturday, inundating villages and destroying crops.
However, officials in Dehra Dun said the water in major rivers including the Ganga have started receding.
Heavy rains also affected Rajasthan, with Jaisalmer receiving maximum rainfall of 39 mm till Wednesday morning. The monsoon has also been vigorous in Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat; the state as a whole received 70% of its total seasonal rainfall by August 2. With widespread showers over the entire state, the Gujarat region, which normally gets 492.2 mm of rain by August 2, has received 420.9 mm.
Source: Associated Press, August 4, 2010
ABC Online, August 4, 2010
PTI, August 2, 2010