THE recent torrential rains have caused a massive disaster in Sindh and Balochistan, resulting in floods, landslides, and other severe weather-related catastrophes. Quite a few politicians and civil servants have been heard trying to save their skin by calling it a divine punishment which is beyond human control.

The truth is that they are using religion for political ends to hide their apathy and failure in managing the affairs they are supposed to manage.

Disasters are not caused by nature, but by natural phenomena when man fails to realise the gravity of the situation, and refuses to pay heed to the warning signs that science and technology keep putting up. In simple terms, what we have seen in recent days is nothing but a man-made disaster, and one needs to be man enough to own it.

Climate change is a serious issue, but no one takes it seriously. Capitalists are only increasing the size of their carbon footprint, whereas deforestation, cutting down of trees and such other follies are having a negative impact on the planet.

The monsoon rains wreaked havoc across the country, from Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Sindh, southern Punjab and Balochistan. All this happened because of the failure of municipal policies and town planning. In many parts of Pakistan today, there is no properly managed sustainable drainage systems in order to help manage surface water runoff.

To make matters worse, people routinely throw trash into sewers, clogging them and preventing rainwater from flowing, causing the sewers to overflow. After a short spell of rain, it is usual to see flooded streets with trash floating around. Such events lead to extremely unhygienic circumstances for local people and worsen the state of the environment. And what about those structures up north that were built right down the riverbed? Were not they man-made?

The monsoon season in Pakistan is becoming a routine affair, which was not always the case, and in order to avoid deadly floods, it is mandatory to have highly effective drainage systems in place to ensure free flow of water during and after downpours. Relevant experts need to step forward and educate the nation whether or not we need more dams, and, if we need them, where and how many and of what size. Water reservoirs are apparently needed to save water for future use instead of letting it create disasters owing to bad governance and corruption.

Natural disasters are actually man-made disasters that are made worse by man-led mismanagement. They reflect failure on the part of those responsible to act in time and to be consistent in their acts.

We have technology that allows us to predict natural disasters before they happen, as well as to mitigate the damage and the consequent economic losses. If we still suffer, let us not blame nature for it.

On its part, the international community needs to reduce carbon emissions for which it must go beyond the Kyoto Protocol. Locally, environmentalists and the media should educate the public about the unnecessary risks that we face as we go about our daily lives.

If the government and society do not take action now, the disaster will be worse in the future, and, again, it will be man-made.

Naimatullah Gadhi
Khairpur Mirs

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2022