Comprehensive policy needs to avoid flood havoc in future

Devastating flooding is not a new thing in the country, but unfortunately we as a nation have not taken so far this issue seriously, and the clear evidence of our this unserious approach is that we have not yet even devised a comprehensive national policy to stop or at least minimize the havoc of floods we face in monsoon season again and again.

Besides climate change our own mistakes are also one of the biggest reasons behind the flooding related destruction across Pakistan. Many national and international research reports have suggested that vast disaster by monsoon torrential rains and flooding can be avoid by proper management. These reports have clearly said that encroachments and illegal constructions in the natural courses of the flooding waters is a big reason which manifold the losses and these losses can be significantly curtail by eliminating these encroachments both in urban and rural parts of the country. The reports also suggest construction of small dams and other water reserves to address the flooding issue.

This year, once again the worst floods of the country’ history have wreaked havoc countrywide and have drew the attention of both the government and public, but unfortunately our track record shows that after a few weeks the whole national would forget completely about this serious national issue until we face this situation in coming years again.

This time we should learn a lesson and should take this issue very seriously as the nation cannot afford more negligence in this regard. After got free from the relief and rehabilitation of flood affectees, the whole national should join heads to devise a comprehensive national policy with the help of  collective wisdom, so could avoid havoc of floods in the future.

If we became successful in making such a policy and then in implementing it in spirit and letter, we could not only avoid the destructions of flash floods but also can convert the horrific floods into national prosperity by properly storing and suing the precious water for the irrigation of hundreds of thousands acre  barren land of the  country.