AS a resident of Swat valley and having experienced two floods, I can say with surety that we have learnt nothing from the calamity in 2010. The recent flooding has affected millions of people, with huge loss of human life, property and agricultural fields.

The 2010 floods had devastating effects as well. Roads and bridges were swept away within seconds. The same happened again, but with a more frightening might. The government and the authorities, such as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), have done nothing in the last 12 years on how to tackle the problem.

No plan was in place about how to control the situation. Unfortunately, even today, no plan is in place to control such a situation. Swat is a place which is densely populated and receives a huge influx of tourists all year round. With the increase of people, the government has no plan about how to use land properly, and there is no authority to regulate residential or commercial property.

Most of the properties that we saw getting swept away in the recent floods were built close to the river. Lack of forests is one of the most important reasons for such floods. Trees are being cut down in large numbers and this leads to landslides. Besides, the force of floodwater does not get checked, adding to the force with which it hits whatever and whoever comes in its way.

The country is bearing the brunt of climate change and the government has no policy or plan in place on how to tackle it. The worst part is even when the next tragedy happens, there will be no plan in place to manage it. People will continue to suffer because the authorities refuse to learn.

Saman
Swat

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2022