THE floods have receded after unleashing their virulence in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), KP, and Punjab. The disaster has not only left behind a trail of tragedy but also a repository of knowledge and experience to learn from. For those living on riverbanks, floods are not a surprising phenomenon. In fact, they have respected the timing, the course and geography determined by rivers over the centuries. The recent floods offered several lessons for us and our decision-makers.
After an initial ramble about cross-border water weaponisation, rationality prevailed. In fact, floods of biblical proportions have ravaged both sides of the fence. Indian Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir received above-normal rains in the pre-monsoon months of June and July. Water levels in the Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams were high in July — an ominous sign made worse by the communication breakdown between Pakistan and India due to the latter’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan must be extra vigilant in monitoring monsoon developments in the catchment areas of the shared rivers to help it take anticipatory measures.
The loss of life was alarmingly high in GB and KP this year. A number of deaths could have been averted through diligent administrative measures. Tourists’ dismissal of weather advisories resulted in several deaths. Access to disaster-prone areas should be restricted in ominous weather conditions.
Riverbed encroachments caused entrapment and deflection of flood flows. The Ravi and Sutlej were erroneously treated as dead rivers. Numerous structures were constructed on the Ravi riverbed. Bunds built illegally by zamindars on the Chenab and Sutlej riverbeds are proliferating. Impediments in rain drains caused urban flooding in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Karachi and Islamabad. Poor regulation by the municipal authorities and the absence of land-use planning have resulted in the increasing spread of obstructive structures. More than 200,000 people were displaced in Sindh’s riverine areas even when the flood was flowing within the limits of the banks. The menace of floodplain encroachments should be eradicated through strict legal enforcement to avoid calamities. Satellite mapping of all natural waterways could be carried out with the support of Suparco to mark encroachments. A five- to 10-year plan to remove existing structures, along with a stringent moratorium on new ones, is long overdue. Similarly, Suparco can identify deforested areas causing gushing flows in the mountains. Subsequent reforestation can improve watershed management.
We build on floodplains, then call it misfortune.
Public infrastructure is mostly designed without considering climate change parameters. Several urban colonies are built in low-lying areas. Roads without adequate drainage structures have created new choking points. Irrigation and drainage channels are excavated across natural flow paths meant for evacuating rainwater. With a burgeoning population, the density of public and private infrastructure has multiplied amid minimal regulation. Provincial planning and development departments do not scrutinise schemes by applying climate change filters. Consequently, public sector development projects are implemented without examining their vulnerability or multiplier effect caused by capricious climatic behaviour.
Breaches on the M-5 motorway need critical analysis. Breaches in the Noraja Bhutta embankment on the Sutlej left a large population in Multan, Bahawalpur and Lodhran marooned for several days. The National Highway Authority had to clog culverts and bridges by packing heavy stones, turning the motorway into a temporary dam. The alignment and adequacy of cross-drainage works need to be examined and, if necessary, redesigned to avoid a recurrence of such episodes.
River bridges provide vital links to several districts; however, the narrow spans of these bridges are causing backflow and spillage. Faulty bridge designs also encumber the velocity of floodwaters and exert stress on embankments. According to a report published in this newspaper, “the Baba Farid bridge on the Sutlej river, connecting Pakpattan to Minchinabad, lacks culverts along an eight-kilometre stretch of its approach road. As a result, the river’s decades-old natural waterways, which allow excess water to pass during floods, have been blocked”.
In Karachi, the Malir river swelled overnight and several areas dominated by encroachments were inundated. A section of the newly built Shahrah-i-Bhutto was washed away as the structure was located on the floodplain of the river.
Lessons from the floods demand deeper introspection and corrective measures. Our current development paradigm is flawed and needs urgent reform.
The writer is a civil society professional.
Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2025
