Monsoon Rains Cause Havoc in Gilgit Baltistan

Recent monsoon rains have unleashed devastation across Pakistan, triggering urban flooding, flash floods, and landslides. These calamities have resulted in over 260 fatalities, with numerous individuals still missing and significant damage to infrastructure.

Gilgit Baltistan, a region renowned for its tourist destinations, has also suffered extensively from flash floods and landslides. Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan reported that the intense monsoon rains have led to at least 10 deaths and four injuries in the region.

During a press conference, the Chief Minister stated that seven districts in Gilgit Baltistan have been severely impacted by the floods. Roads, water channels, homes, and agricultural lands have been destroyed, leading to infrastructure damage exceeding Rs20 billion.

“Our limited resources are inadequate to recover from the magnitude of this disaster,” he said, appealing to the federal government for immediate assistance.

The Chief Minister further elaborated that approximately 300 houses have been completely destroyed, while 200 have sustained partial damage. Additionally, 30-40% of water channels and 15 to 20 kilometers of roads have been affected.

CM Gulbar mentioned that the regional government has formally requested Rs7 billion from the federal government to facilitate the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure. He also urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to personally assess the extent of the destruction by visiting the flood-affected areas.

“We have sent formal requests to both the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff, seeking their support during this critical period,” the CM added.

Earlier, the Chief Minister conducted visits to several flood-affected areas in the Diamer district, including Thak, Niat, Kunar, and Thor. He declared the worst-hit areas as disaster zones.

He instructed officials to provide immediate relief, including tents and essential supplies, to the displaced families.

He assured the affected population that transparent damage assessments would be conducted, and comprehensive compensation would be provided for losses incurred to homes, agricultural land, and vital infrastructure.

Emergency restoration of electricity, drinking water, irrigation channels, and roads has also been mandated.

Furthermore, the Chief Minister directed authorities to remove all illegal encroachments along the water channels to mitigate the risk of similar disasters in the future.