|
By: Imran Umar Baloch
Rain hard hit the poor and backward people of Balochistan. A number of villages
were washed away as two small dams burst in Pasni tehsil and Turbat district and
the death toll rose to approximately 76 in different parts of Makran division.
Hundreds of people are reported missing in Suntesar near Gwadar. Six villages
having population of over 3,000 were completely inundated. Several hundred more
people are marooned following floods in Hingol, the biggest seasonal river of
Balochistan.
Many bridges were washed away, heavy rainfall continued in the catchment areas
of all major rivers, Balochistan-Kech, Nihing, Basol and Shadi Kaur, and other
seasonal rivers causing flooding.
President visited Makran and it is lament to hear his speech, he said, ?oThose
who are against the army are sitting in their houses. They should now come
forward and help the people. Jawans of Pakistan army have come forward to rescue
and rehabilitate the affected people.
It is ironic that level of confidence is very low after the subsequent events in
Balochistan; such political remarks in the context of natural calamity would
affect the confidence building measures. In reply, nationalists are of the
opinion that Is president paying a single penny from his own pocket for the
relief work? They said it is the responsibility of the state functionary to
manage the relief work because state is well equipped to meet catastrophic
challenged vis a vis a civilian leadership.
It is not the time to score the political points but quick relief effort is the
most required. To avoid future dam burst in the wake of torrential rain, we must
find out the root causes.
Experts identified following four possible causes of the bursting of the various
dams, mainly Shadi Kor Dam:
1. The original design of the dam was defective possibly because an incompetent
designer, who was given this task only on the basis of favoritisms or after
receipt of a cash commission from the designer by the concerned officer, made it
in a defective manner,
2. Non-evacuation of the water from the dam even when it had been filled up to
the dangerous limits after the rains, possibly due to criminal negligence,
3. Non-evacuation of the water after it had been filled up to the dangerous
limits, in consequence of a conspiracy to let the disaster occur with the
willful design of diverting the attention of the people of the province and the
world, from Sui crisis.
4. If the cracks in the dam were already in the knowledge of the authorities, as
so reported in a section of the press, to let the disaster occur in order to
later oblige the people with aid in cash etc. by the government and the relief
work by the army.
It is high time to find out the probable causes of dam burst, an effective
contingency response would enable us to avoid future considerable damage to
infrastructure and precious lives of people. | 
