2023-08-23 10:21:29
Some 100,000 people have been evacuated from Punjab province in Pakistan. This following floods triggered, according to Pakistan, by the dumping by India of several thousand cubic meters of water in a river watering the two countries.
Several hundred villages in Punjab (central east) were submerged by the flood on Sunday of this river, the Sutlej, and thousands of hectares of agricultural land, in particular plantations, were destroyed.
After torrential monsoon rains that caused flooding, India poured nearly 85,000 m3 per second of excess water into its reservoirs into the Sutlej on Sunday, causing flooding downstream on the Pakistani side, according to Mohsin Naqvi, the head of government of Punjab.
India frequently dumps its surplus water into rivers flowing to Pakistan, which it normally warns in advance, but which denounces a recurring problem.
Since July 9, 16 people have died in floods directly caused by India’s regular dumping of water, according to the Pakistani emergency service Rescue 1122. No Indian official might immediately be reached for comment. .
The dikes did not resist
The dykes that were supposed to protect homes did not resist the flood and hundreds of villages are no longer accessible by road.
Relief operations are continuing in flooded areas, where authorities have to use boats to shelter men, women, children and livestock.
“All the crops have been destroyed. We don’t even have a house,” she lamented.
“The flood water came two days ago and all our houses were submerged. We walked here with great difficulty,” said Kashif Mehmood, a manual laborer who came with his wife and three children. in a relief camp.
Monsoon rains expected
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has warned that the floods might worsen further in the coming days as more monsoon rains are expected in this region.
At least 175 people have died in Pakistan in floods, building collapses, landslides and other incidents triggered by monsoon rains since late June.
Pakistan is still trying to recover from the devastating floods that affected almost a third of its territory in 2022, affecting more than 33 million people and killing more than 1,700.
The monsoon, which usually lasts from June to September, is essential for the irrigation of plantations and for replenishing the water resources of South Asia, to which it contributes 70 to 80% of its annual rainfall.
It is vital for agriculture and food security in this poor region, which alone has around two billion inhabitants. But it also brings its share of drama and destruction each year.
According to experts, global warming contributes to making rainfall more intense and more unpredictable.
Pakistan, home to a population of 220 million, says it is responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
This article has been published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
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