Flood-hit Pakistan bracing for another

ISLAMABAD - Though the repercussions of last year’s devastating floods are not over yet reports have surfaced threats of the natural calamity again in the country.
Apart from adopting measures to save lives of people, the incumbent government might face another issue of infrastructure damage in the apprehended floods.
It is worth mentioning here that the department concerned has recently received a little chunk of funds for reconstruction of damaged infrastructure after around one year while another threat of flood has been released. “This would create difficulties in reconstruction work in the affected areas. Another threat of flood is looming,” an official of the Communication Ministry told TheNation. In its early warning, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has recently cautioned that around two million people could be affected by possible floods in Pakistan this year. Less damages in a likely scenario of floods is feared as compared to the last years, sources said adding that however the roads and Railways sector might face much damages.
Last year, the velocity of floods was greatest in northern Pakistan, home to steep mountainous valleys, and the infrastructure damage was the worst ever over there. The government had approved over Rs 27 billion PC-1 for the reconstruction of damaged road infrastructure due to last year flash floods, but reconstruction process might face another due to possible floods of this year. The available figures have also revealed that the floods badly damaged highways and bridges in almost all provinces, while the incumbent government spent Rs 3335 million in this sector, which was half of the finance as compared to the last financial year.
It was rather shocking that government had spent Rs 7386 million on development of roads, highways and bridges during the financial year 2009, when situation was comparatively much better as compared to 2010. According to details, the last year’s floods damaged the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining tribal areas. The areas highly affected by the flash floods included Peshwar, Charsada, Nowshera, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Gilgit, Mirpur, Kholo, Bhakar, DI Khan, Bajaur Agency, Swabi, Muzarabad and others. The floods also badly damaged the roads and bridges in southern Punjab, interior Sindh and Balochistan.
A senior official, desiring not to be named, said the issue of reconstruction should have been resolved earlier, as now if this year floods hit the infrastructure even with less velocity the department concerned might face much difficulty.