Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) killed at least 261 people from March to July this year, a government official said on Wednesday.

The Meteorological Department has forecast more rains and warned of floods in Chitral and other areas in the next twenty-four hours.

Talking to Daily Times, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesperson Latif-ur-Rahman said the government had already directed the authorities in all districts of the province to take measures to minimise the damage from floods.

He said that rains and floods brought huge destruction to the province this year. “At least 261 people were killed and 206 injured in rain-related incidents and floods in KP from March to July this year,” Rahman said. He said that 1,101 houses were completely washed away and thousands more were partially damaged in the areas affected by floods.

“Two helicopters, one of KP chief minister’s and the other of Pakistan Army’s, are available to the PDMA to rescue people in an emergency situation. We also have about 129 boats at our disposal,” the spokesman said. Talking to this reporter, Chitral Deputy Commissioner Osama Warraich said the district administration had received from Afghanistan the bodies of 19 people who were swept away during flash floods in Chitral. “Bodies of some people who were swept away to Afghanistan have yet to be retrieved. We are in contact with the Afghan authorities to retrieve these bodies as soon as possible,” he said. The Chitral district administration is trying its best to provide all facilities to the flood-affected people, he said. “We need medical relief, doctors and support staff urgently to cater to the needs of the flood affected people,” he added.

KP Meteorological Department Deputy Director Dr Muhammad Faheem said that natural disasters were occurring frequently mainly because of the climate change and the rising pollution. “Floods and other natural disasters have increased in Pakistan, especially Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern areas of Pakistan because of pollution and environmental changes, including speedy deforestation and the melting glaciers,” he said. Pakistan is among 20 countries, which are worst affected by natural disasters and calamities. “The Meteorological Department lacks resources and modern equipment, which can enable us to issue early warnings about floods and other natural disasters,” Faheem said.

Faheem praised the one billion tree tsunami project of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government. “It is a very good step, but it will take time to have a positive impact on our environment; therefore, we must stop deforestation in northern areas to save Pakistan from floods and other natural disasters,” he said.