The Indus has once again burst its banks, but what drowns Pakistan each monsoon is not just water, it is neglect. Fields vanish, homes crumble, and lives are swept away, while officials scramble with last-minute breaches and excuses. Nature may unleash the flood, but it is human failure that makes it a disaster.
A Familiar Disaster
This surge recalls the devastation of 2010 and 2014, when millions were displaced and billions lost. Our flood preparedness is reactive, not preventive despite assurances of reform. Embankments are of poor quality, drainage systems are blocked and early warning systems are faulty. Pakistan continues to use emergency breaches rather than managing basins in the long term and trade off the survival of one community against the loss of another. The surging Chenab is a stark reminder of nature’s might and our planning failures. Inadequate local and state government coordination contributes to this mess. In the meantime, the common people, farmers, herders, daily wage earners are the ones who suffer in lives and livelihood.
Excuses vs. Responsibility
According to the officials, these floods are inevitable and they are caused by unprecedented intensity of monsoons and upstream releases by India. Climate change does contribute to unpredictable rainfall, and the dam release through India makes the situation worse. Yet none of this justifies decades of inaction by Pakistan. Equally or more exposed countries such as Bangladesh have massively cut losses due to floods through improved infrastructure, early warning and community involvement. The actual problem is not external pressure alone, but our lack of desire to change water governance.
A Call for Foresight
An integrated approach to the management of the Indus Basin is required in Pakistan. This will necessitate investment in resilient embankment, advanced forecasting and transboundary water cooperation. Disaster planning must include local communities as partners, rather than victims. Development of storage reservoirs, improvement of barrage and enhancement of drainage systems are urgent. It is also important to de-politicize disaster response- so rescue and relief can reach individuals before they are trapped on rooftops.
Beyond Firefighting
All floods reveal the same fact: Pakistan cannot live on short-term solutions. Extreme events are becoming the new reality as a result of climate change. The cycle of destruction will occur unless we alter the short-term firefighting to long-term planning. Flood water can dry, yet mistrust, income, and strength will be eroded. It is time to stop perceiving the Indus as a drain that empties each time the monsoon comes, but rather as a common life line that should be handled both with foresight and responsibility.
Also See : KP Government Ramps Up Relief Efforts for Flood-Affected Districts
