Daily Times

The initial economic losses from floods in Pakistan could reach at least $10 billion, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

Unprecedented and historical flash floods caused by abnormal monsoon rains have washed away roads, crops, infrastructure and bridges, killing at least 1,000 people in recent weeks and affecting more than 33 million. “I think it is going to be huge. So far, (a) very early, preliminary estimate is that it is big, it is higher than $10 billion,” Iqbal said.

The minister said it might take five years to rebuild and rehabilitate the South Asian nation of 200 million people, which will be facing an acute challenge of food shortage. He said that 45% of cotton crops had been washed away in addition to huge damage to vegetables and fruit and rice fields. “So far we have lost 1,000 human lives. There is damage to almost nearly one million houses,” Iqbal said at his office. “People have actually lost their complete livelihood,” he said.

Meanwhile, the countrywide death toll from floods reached 1,136 on Monday with the threat of more flooding hovering over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 1,634 individuals were injured in various rain and flood-related incidents and over 735,375 livestock animals were lost. Additionally, over 3,451 kilometres of roads, 149 bridges, 170 shops, and 949,858 houses were damaged across the country.

Meanwhile, the water level in Kabul River still ranged from medium to very high flow. Data available from the flood cell showed that a decrease of 41,000 cusecs was recorded in the river’s water level and 296,731 cusecs were passing through the river at Nowshera – which was still “very high” flow. However, that was lower than Sunday’s flow of over 336,000 cusecs.

The irrigation department also said that a “high” flow was reported in Kabul River at Warsak with 103,614 cusecs and “medium” flow at Adezai Bridge with 54,495 cusecs flowing.

According to a statement from Nowshera’s deputy commissioner office, the water level in the Kabul River was continuously decreasing and was likely to go down further in the next five to six hours.

Moreover, high water level was also observed in the Indus River at Chashma, with inflow and outflow levels recorded at 525,362 cusecs and 519,362, respectively. However, the flood cell data showed that the rest of the rivers in KP were flowing at low, normal, and medium levels.

Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan visited flood-affected areas of the province, met affectees and announced Rs100 million aid for them.

The PTI said that he would visit four districts today – Upper and Lower Chitral and Upper and Lower Dir – to review relief and rescue operations.

“In this hour of difficulty, we stand side by side with our people. We believe in public service by being among the people,” CM Khan said.

Rescue operations also continued today as 35 more tourists, including women and children, were airlifted from Kumrat Valley.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner of Swat said that seven operations were conducted in Utror, Gabral, Uryan and Kalam in the last two days in which 240 persons were brought back. Relief activities have also begun in Lower Kohistan, according to the area’s assistant commissioner, Muhammad Saqib Khan.

“Two relief camps have been set up at Gabbar and Mazo areas of Lower Kohistan for relief activities, while teams have left for the assessment of losses across the district,” he said.

Khan said that the people stranded in several areas of Dubair, Ranolia, Kayal areas had been evacuated to safer places, however, roads lead to Dubair, Ranolia and other areas were still blocked as most of their stretches had been washed away by the floods. The Karakoram Highway has reopened for light traffic in the limits of Lower Kohistan, the assistant commissioner added. Meanwhile, a huge relief operation was under way Monday and international aid began trickling in as Pakistan struggled to deal with monsoon flooding that has affected more than 33 million people.