Murad Khan
MOHMAND: it was a cloudy morning of July eleventh and a group of 8-12 years old children’s are playing and enjoying the bating in the water of small dam near Shagai Cricket ground, approximately 3 to 4 kilometers far away from district headquarter Ghalllani in Mohmand Tribal District.
Gul Khan kaka standing on the bridge with half wet clothes is gossiping with friends and watching the flash flood entering in the small dam. Pointing towards the monsoon rain water 65 years old Gul Khan kaka said that this water is very much important for this land and it’s Biodiversity. This water will rise the water table/level and this could be used for agriculture purpose as well.
He added that this cold weather in Jun and Monsoon raining is a special mercy of Almighty Allah, as the people and animals of Mohmand Tribal District are striving for a single drop of water. Gul added that once upon a time there were fields of sugarcane, wheat and many other vegetables and plants, even maize crops were sown in this area”. He added that before 30 to 40 years there was plenty of water here and I have seen by myself that there was a type of Small River from the springs and the people of this area had watermills on this water, one of watermill is still present in rotten form at Miangaan area of Ghallani.
But nowadays the situation of water is that, the people of this area are forced to bring water from 12-15 Kilometer far plunge areas. Upon inquiring the reasons of scarcity of water in Mohmand District, Gul Khan said that the quantity of rain was about nil from the years 2010 till now. Nearly all the people were very much happy as there was a not only a pleasant weather but also the rain flood filled their wells from water. But 60 years old Sheena Mama was sitting far-away from the crowed.
On acquiring his reason of loneliness a boy said that the small dam drowned the main entrance and way to his home. When we talked to him, he said that I have spent around ten million rupees on the construction of my home, but I can’t enter the car into my home, as the water of the small dame filled all the area in front of home. “He added that I and my family members use the bank of river, while entering into my home.
On inquiring the help of district administration, he said that before a week the Tehsildar of Upper Mohmand and district administration staff visited my home and ensured me that they will make a bridge or a small road/way towards my home from the main Mohmand to Peshawar highway. Another young man added that there are only two homes, which have doors towards small dam side. Other homes have their own roads towards Chanda Bazar.
The District administration and PRCS sources said that a heavy rain were recorded around all the upper parts of Mohmand tribal district. The rainy areas includes Tehsil Saffi, Nawagai, Qandhari, Tehsil Khwaizi Baizi, Kowang, Shati kor, Ghallani, Pandiyalai, Burhan Kheel and so many other parts of the district.
The District Secretary Pakistan Red Crescent Mr. Fauzee Khan said that volunteers of PRCS are busy in relief activates and providing help to the rain affected people. About the damages from flashflood of monsoon rain Fauzee Khan said “comparatively less damages have been recorded this year, as compared to previous year. As in previous year, more than 30 goats and sheep’s were drowned in rain water, similarly more than 20 cows were also drowned in rain incident.
Beside this many agriculture fields and crops were also damaged in the recent flood.” He explained that the Onion’s Tomato and Coriander crops were also badly affected from the recent flood incidents.
The PDMA released its past 24 hour’s report about damages done due to rain. The spokesperson Taimoor Ali Khan Said that two people were died and three others were wounded in rain incidents in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that 4 homes were also destroyed due to rain and according to the directives of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan all the institutions have been ordered to take serious steps to safeguard the rain affected peoples.
While explaining Rain updates Taimoor Ali Said that a heavy amount of Monson rain were recorded in Tank, Sawabi, Mohmand, Buner, Swat, Shangla, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Malakand, Upper Chitral, Bajaur and many other parts of the province. “The flash flood water have been entered into many homes, markets and shops in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank areas.” He added.
Mr Taimoor explained that our teams are present in Sawabi and they are busy in dewatering from Houses, Markets, shops and Mosques jointly with Rescue 1122, TMA and district administration.
Deputy Commissioner Sawabai said in a statement that due to rainfall last night there has been floods at following locations:
Water level at Thandkoi, Marghuz remained the same which was reported earlier. Similarly, in Bangladesh Banda being low ground the water level has increased and the females (with kids) are being shifted to nearby school buildings. Besides this Low level floods are reported in Hund and Kunda areas of Tehsil Lahore. Low level floods are reported in Tarakai Maira, Bachai and Dagai areas of Tehsil Razzar, he added.
He further said that our teams are in field and TMAs are being deployed to clear the water courses for discharge of water. Being plain areas the discharge will take its due time.
The PDMA spoke person added that district teams along with Rescue 1122, Health teams, Pak-Army and Police are busy in rescue and relief activates in Tank area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Many incidents of monsoon rain occurred in all the provinces of Pakistan, which caused many deaths and casualties. Due to these flash water of monsoon rain a huge amount of infrastructure loses were recorded in the country, and these terriable incidents occurs almost every year due to lack of proper disaster control policy and prior management.
Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman in her message on ‘World Environment Day’ said the climate change is the biggest challenge of the 21st century.
She said Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world facing the severe effects and threats of climate change.
Sherry Rehman said we are facing extreme temperatures and severe drought.
She said our forests are burning, glaciers are melting and rivers are drying up and we have to be careful in using water.
The Minister suggested that there is a need to adopt climate culture to deal with climate crisis and every Pakistani citizen has to play his role for the protection of environment and his mother earth.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), glaciers in Pakistan’s northern mountain ranges (the Hindu Kush, Himalayas, and the Karakorum) are melting rapidly due to rising temperatures and a total of 3,044 glacial lakes have developed in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Asif Khan, a climate and water analyst, says due to climate change, weather patterns have changed visibly. “Other accompanying effects are the disturbance of rainfall patterns and a higher rate of glacial ice melt. Persistent temperature hikes lasting more than a week, followed by rainfall increase the risk of damages due to flashflood incidents. It poses a serious threat to the downstream infrastructure such as bridges and power stations,” he says.
While talking to Environmental Journalist Muhammad Daud Khan about the recent change in the flood pattern he said that Pakistan is facing sever climate change issues and at the result we see change in rain pattern, cold weather in very hot month like Jun and damages resulted by sever flashflood in many parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Besides this, The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2021 says the top five countries which are at the greatest increase in risk, between 2020 and 2040, are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Cambodia. “During August–September 2020, 2.6 million people were affected by floods Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing losses worth $1.5 billion,” the report says.
The UN-ESCAP report further states that the increase in average annual losses worst-case climate scenario is $26 million in Pakistan. “The population exposure to floods and related diseases, 2020-2059, is 10 million,” it states.
The environmental Scientists believes that the change in rain pattern and sudden decrease and increase in temperature and weather are the main signs of climate change and Pakistan is the 5th country which is affecting badly due to climate and environmental changes. Pakistan will face sever Biodiversity and infrastructure loss if the proper steps towards climate change were not taken on time.
By formulating proper environmental and disaster loss minimizing policy on government stage, Increasing the agriculture land, control over population and developing a sense of environmental responsibility we can save our nation from the worse condition of climate and environmental changes.
“This story was produced as part of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network’s 2022 UNCBD COP 15 Reporting Fellowship.”
The Writer is a freelance Environmental Journalist, who tweets on @Muradonline123
