Residents are forced to abandon their homes as urban flooding brings life to a standstill in Gwadar, with streets and shops completely submerged.
- The senator says thousands of fishermen lost homes and boats.
- At least seven houses completely destroyed by heavy rains.
- Two equipped relief teams – PDMA have been sent to Gwadar.
GWADAR: Heavy rains wreaked havoc in the coastal town of Gwadar in Balochistan on Tuesday, bringing life to a halt as water completely submerged roads, streets and houses, disrupting the power transmission system after more than 15 hours of downpour. Geographic news reported.
A rain-producing system entered the country through Balochistan on February 25, so parts of the province and highland areas were expected to receive heavy downpours and wind storms from today.
Rainwater entered homes and shops, forcing people to abandon their shelters. Videos showed the entire coastal city heavily flooded by rainwater gushing onto the roads and vehicles traversing knee-deep water.
At least seven houses were reportedly demolished, while many others were partially affected.
Revealing the misery of the locals to Geographic newsSenator Kohda Babar said the entire old town of Gwadar has been submerged in up to 2 to 3 feet of water after heavy rains that are still lashing the city.
“The water has entered the houses and people have nowhere to sleep,” he added.
Babar also said that the last time such a situation arose in 2010, but the government does not monitor such a situation.
“There is no one to talk to or ask about us,” he said while thanking Geographic news for reporting the disastrous situation in the port city.
He asked the authorities concerned, especially the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), to “show mercy” and come to the aid of the locals.
He further stated that thousands of fishermen have lost their homes and boats due to the floods.
When asked how people are responding to the situation, Babar said some people were moving towards their family members present outside the city, while the local administration was also making some efforts within its authority.
However, there is no response from the Balochistan government or the Pakistan government, he lamented.
The senator further said that district or divisional administration would not be able to cater to such a large population. “Who will compensate for the huge losses suffered by the locals?” he asked.
Babar called for the area to be declared calamity-affected and demanded the government to ensure that the affected people were compensated for their losses.
Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner (DC) of Gwadar said that the heavy rains had stopped for some time.
Talking about the situation in Gwadar, the official said that the internal arteries of the city have been flooded but the road connecting Gwadar with Turbat and Karachi is still available for travel.
PDMA Director General Jahanzaib Khan said Geographic news that he is in touch with the DC of Gwadar about the situation and that two teams equipped with drainage machines and boats have been sent to the city.
He said temporary shelter tents and other goods will be sent immediately if requested by the DC.
Meanwhile, an MPA from Balochistan said rescue efforts had begun after more than 15 hours of rain. She said the situation in the city was dire with up to 6 feet of water on the ground.
The latest weather advisory issued today by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicts rain, thunder and hail in most parts of the country and snowfall in mountainous areas, from February 29 to March 2, under a fresh westerly wave .
“Heavy rain may cause flash flooding and heavy snowfall may disrupt daily life in vulnerable areas,” the advisory warned.
