Climate Change Minister Highlights Elite Culture Amidst Flood Crisis

As Pakistan grapples with severe flooding and widespread devastation, Federal Minister for Climate Change, Senator Musadik Malik, has pointed out that an entrenched elite culture prevails, where prime riverside properties are held by the influential rather than the underprivileged.

“Riverside areas are occupied by resorts of the powerful, not hotels for the poor,” he stated during a television appearance.

He further noted the presence of persistent distrust among provinces regarding the distribution of water resources from dams and canals, with each province suspecting the others of hoarding water.

“Balochistan feels marginalized, believing Sindh receives water but does not adequately distribute it,” he observed, adding that a unified agreement on water infrastructure development has been absent.

The minister proposed telemetry as a viable solution to bridge the trust deficit among the provinces. He mentioned that the project is underway and is anticipated to reach completion within approximately a year.

Malik emphasized that agricultural activities inside riverbeds have worsened the flood situation.

He cautioned that Sargodha is beginning to experience the effects of the flooding, and he predicted that the convergence of rivers at Panjnad could lead to water flows escalating to one million cusecs.

He reported that evacuations were executed following early warnings, ensuring the safe relocation of people and livestock. In one instance, 30 villagers initially declined to leave but were eventually convinced to evacuate; floodwaters have since inundated the area.

The minister underscored that without adequate water reservoirs at the tehsil and district levels, the nation will remain susceptible to crises. He advocated for the establishment of natural water reserves throughout Pakistan to better manage future emergencies.

Pakistan is currently struggling with intense monsoon rains that have triggered flash floods, caused rivers to swell, and filled dams, resulting in over 800 fatalities since late June. Concurrently, India discharged surplus water from its dams this week, augmenting river flows downstream in Punjab.

The NDMA reported that over 210,000 residents in proximity to the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers, originating from India, were evacuated.

Pakistani authorities stated that India issued its third flood advisory since Sunday, this time pertaining to the Sutlej River, following previous warnings regarding waters flowing into Pakistan via the Ravi River.