Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan is located from southwest to Northwest at 23-37 degree north latitude and 61-76 degree east latitude on the map of the world. This is the beauty of the nature and the fortune of Pakistan as it is being blessed by so much diversified climate pattern round the year. In northern areas of Pakistan the temperature gets as low as 25 Celsius degree and in the southern areas of the country the temperature rises as high as 55 Celsius degree. Monsoon season is experienced in many parts of world for example northern Australia, Africa, and South America but the real strength of monsoon is being observed in South Asian countries which include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Summer monsoon season in Pakistan is of great importance for its agricultural, economic and social purposes. These rains are not only used for water needs of plants in agricultural sector but also to kill the insects by physical beating. By irrigating the fields, certain insect pests like crickets attacking the cotton seedlings and the white ants attacking cotton, sugarcane, chilies and 0 other crops can be drowned in rain water and thus crops can be saved. Monsoon in Pakistan contributes almost 65-75 % of the total annual rainfall.

Monsoon is generally the blessing in the state as it reduces the water shortage and provides ample water to the dams for the generation of electricity which also improves the power shortage crisis in this state but due to bad governance and poor management; monsoon becomes devastating and destructive of the people of the country as poor drainage system plays the vital role in the water getting stuck on roads which spreads a lot of dangerous diseases and at the same time is also very unhygienic. Very poor conditions of the dams and river banks causes floods on regular basis in Pakistan in the monsoon season where high flow water destroys whatever comes its way resulting in heavy loss of both live and the property of the People living nearby river banks.

Monsoon rains and flood creates havoc in different parts of the flood-affected areas and leaves thousands of families affected.  Large number of houses destroys, thousands of acres of ready to harvest crops and fruits orchards damages, link roads and bridges destroys.

Due to bad governance and poor drainage system widespread monsoon rains casts a negative impact on crops and affects the yield of cotton, chilli, banana and tomato in Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Sanghar, Badin, Degree and Hyderabad in Sindh.

When Monsoon hits Pakistan a large outbreak of diseases are reported in different parts of the country. It’s one of those problems that occur due to lack of preventive measures and lapses in our pre-planned structure. Monsoon usually spans in Pakistan from start of June until the end of August and throughout the months we hear about causalities and illnesses caused by rain and its after effects such as damming of water on roads, deaths due to electric shock, dengue outbreak, malaria, measles etc. Well, blame game is also at its peak in these days – media and newspapers are flooded with discussions based on someone should have done it; it’s not our responsibility and some similar lines like we are trying to help people who are in this condition.

Helen Keller once said, “Be of good cheer. Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.”

But the question is “Is monsoon an unexpected condition to deal with?” I m 22 years old and since the last 10 years I have been listening about causalities occurring in this specific period. Same old repeated problems which are never considered or solved ending up by taking lives of thousands, leaving hundreds in need of emergency health facilities, and countless malnourished in a country where people don’t have enough money to fulfill their day to day needs. Now it’s time to stop blaming and start working in a practical manner so that we could improve our country.