ISLAMABAD: With Karachi being hit by an intense heat wave and the government being criticised for its failure to provide relief to people, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has called upon the army to come to the aid of the city’s residents.

The appeal was made in a letter sent to the corps commander of Karachi by the NDMA chairman.

In an immediate response, Rangers have set up 10 heatstroke centres in Karachi and a few in other affected areas of Sindh. About 12 are in the process of being set up.

The centres have doctors and paramedical staff and necessary equipment to deal with sunstroke cases.

The NDMA has directed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority to activate its emergency helpline to reach out to affected people and also launch a public awareness campaign about preventive measures.

Steps to be taken will include establishment of heatstroke centres in all government and private hospitals and basic health units, arrangement of emergency medicines and working in coordination with emergency services like Edhi Foundation, Chhipa Welfare Association and Rescue 1122 for timely transportation of affected people to hospitals.

A little shower in some parts of the city on Monday failed to bring the temperature down and Karachi continued to sizzle during the day and even the temperature at night was higher than other parts of the country.

The temperature recorded after Sunday midnight hovered around 33 degrees Celsius while in traditionally hot areas like Multan it was 30 C, Larkana 32 C and Turbat 29 C. The night was comparatively cool in Lahore at 26 C and Islamabad at 24 C.

On the other hand, the mercury level touched 43 C in Karachi for the second consecutive day on Monday, the third highest in the country after Sibbi’s 45 C and Turbat’s 47 C.

According to the met office, high temperature in Karachi has been caused mainly by hot winds blowing in the north eastern direction.

“The winds are moving at medium speed to the sea from Cholistan and Thar deserts in Pakistan and Rajasthan in India,” a met official said. The winds are flowing at the height of 10,000 feet which enables them to affect large areas.

“The unusual phenomenon has been triggered by a huge depression in central Arabian Sea, which is large enough to become a cyclone but is blocking the flow of moist winds from the sea to Karachi,” he said.

“The low pressure development is not only sucking in the sea breeze but also creating a vacuum-like situation for desert winds to move to the sea,” the official added.

The system is likely to fizzle out by reaching the coast of the Indian state of Gujarat and parts of Sindh by Wednesday. As a result widespread rains are expected in the region with the possibility of rainfall also in Karachi.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Shia Ulema Council, in separate statements, have criticised the government for failing to take effective measures and acting without delay to prevent loss of life.

The HRCP said: “The high number of fatalities across the country as the temperature has risen is extremely worrying. Searing heat in Pakistan during this time of the year is not unexpected, and yet so many people have died in incidents related to hot weather.”

It said that nature alone was not to blame for the high death toll and a failure to adopt preventive measures had also played a role.

“If drinking water is not available in a city like Karachi, that is a human failure, and a failure of the community too.” The HRCP said.

Allama Asghar Wahidi of the Shia Ulema Council urged the government to reduce duration of electricity loadshedding because it had also led to water shortage in the city.

“The federal government should at least remember its own statements and promises made to people in this regard,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2015

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