GWADAR: On Wednesday, heavy rains disrupted regular life and travel in Gwadar, Makran, and the northern and central regions of Balochistan.
Most of the places were submerged by flash floods caused by the 30-hour rains. After being summoned by the local government, paramilitary personnel arrived in the flood-affected districts and began rescue and relief efforts. In the areas affected by the rain, the Gwadar district administration proclaimed a state of emergency.
According to officials, the last two days saw almost 180 millimeters of rain fall on the Gwadar district, interrupting daily life and leaving hundreds of people without a place to live. Numerous residential communities and business buildings fell due to floodwaters entering homes, and numerous roadways suffered significant damage.
Due to damage to the coastal highway, traffic between Karachi and Gwadar could not be restored.
180 millimeters of rain pour in two days in Port City; 280 people are saved
Houses were flooded, forcing family to relocate to safer areas. Gwadar resident Hayatullah Baloch told Dawn over the phone, “We lost our precious households in the floodwater and our houses were not in position to live in.”
The port city’s sewerage system became clogged when floodwater reached it, causing sewage water to spill into the streets and roadways. Gwadar lacks a water drainage system, and the few pumps that were operational were unable to adequately drain the inundated areas. People were experiencing a lack of drinking water as a result of the severe damage done to the water supply infrastructure. Many of the dykes in Surbandan, Jewany, Palery, and other places, as well as the Gwadar-Peshkan route, have been washed away.
About 280 individuals, including women and children whose homes had collapsed, had reportedly been rescued and taken to the GDA Rest Houses and China School, according to the officials. Over a hundred dwellings had their boundary walls washed away.
The individuals affected by the floods were reportedly receiving assistance from the army, navy, Gwadar Development Authority, Gwadar Port Authority, and municipal committee.
In the meantime, rain and snowfall in Quetta and many other places inundated the roadways and human dwellings. The areas of Quetta, Ziarat, Kalat, Mastung, and Pishin experienced power and gas supply disruptions due to the overnight rains.
