The Balochistan government imposed an “urban flood emergency” in Quetta “owing to heavy downpour”, it emerged on Monday.
Continuous heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms have lashed several parts of the country in the past few days, resulting in a total of 39 deaths, out of which 12 occurred on Sunday — six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, four in Punjab and two in Balochistan.
In Balochistan, rains continued to lash parts of Makran and various other regions on Sunday, raising the death toll to 10 in the province after two more people, including a woman, were killed in a lightning strike and a roof collapse incident in the Kech district.
According to a notification dated April 14, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has imposed an “urban flood emergency” under Section 3 of the Balochistan Natural Calamity (Prevention and Relief Act).
In the early hours of Monday, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti convened an online meeting with the province’s divisional commissioners and PDMA officials.
During the meeting, Principal Secretary to CM Imran Zarqoon and PDMA Director General Attaullah Baloch briefed the chief minister on the overall rain situation in the province. They also detailed the rescue and relief operations dealt with by the authority’s control room.
The chief minister expressed his satisfaction at the PDMA’s performance, asserting that the government “could not leave the province’s people alone during these tough times”. CM Bugti said that all resources be put to use to deal with any emergencies.
However, he expressed his dismay at public complaints about the lack of water drainage, directing that all required resources and support be provided to all field officers to address the complaints.
The chief minister noted that it was the provincial government’s responsibility to provide relief and help to the public. He further ordered field officers to remove encroachments on nullas.
The PDMA carried out overnight rescue operations in various areas across the province, including Hina Orak, Gahi Khan Chowk and Inskum Road. Teams led by PDMA officers Faisal Tariq and Faisal Panizai remained engaged in draining accumulated rainwater.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Hameed Rind said that holidays of all Quetta staff and officers had been suspended.
According to a separate notification issued by the provincial education department, the government ordered all public and private schools across the province to remain closed today (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday).
According to the met department, the weather was expected to remain cloudy in most districts. However, heavy rainfall and thunderstorms coupled with strong winds were forecast in Quetta, Chaman, Pishin, Zhob, Sherani, Barkhan, Musa Khel, Kohlu, Sibi, Loralai, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Kalat, Muslim Bagh, and Harnai.
Damage due to rains
Officials had reported severe damages in coastal towns such as Pasni, Kech, and Panjgur districts as well as the port city of Gwadar.
These damages include heavy losses to houses, infrastructure, and disruptions to transportation networks, including the coastal highway and other link roads, cutting off access to many areas from Quetta and other districts.
The power supply had been severely affected, with electric pylons uprooted in Pasni and Panjgur areas, leading to outages lasting hours in Quetta and surrounding areas. Gas supply disruptions and low pressure had also been reported across various areas of the provincial capital and other cities.
Normal life and traffic had been significantly impacted across Makran and other regions of northern, central and southern Balochistan, with incessant rains affecting around 25 districts of the province.
Reports indicated that Pasni, a coastal town in the Gwadar district, had been particularly hard hit, with extensive areas submerged under rainwater.
“Pasni looks like a big lake at the moment as flash floods entered the human settlements and main commercial areas,” Noor Ahmed Kalmati, chairman of Pasni Municipal Committee, had told Dawn by phone.
“Dozens of mud houses and boundary walls collapsed in heavy rains that lashed the small town for four hours,” Kalmati said, adding that the municipal committee was trying to rescue residents trapped by floodwaters.
In Kech district, scores of houses had been damaged, and link roads washed away, cutting links to Turbat and other areas of Makran.