DNA

ISLAMABAD: The NDMA issued fresh alerts for flash flooding and glacial lake outbursts in the northern and northwestern provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing “a significant rise in temperatures and…an upcoming weather system.” 

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday issued an alert for heavy rainfall in several parts of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northeast Punjab, Azad Kashmir and parts of Balochistan, for the next two days.

Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat. They are crucial to replenishing water supplies and agriculture, and therefore the livelihoods of millions of farmers and food security. However, they also wreak havoc by triggering deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas.

At least 19 people lost their lives in Balochistan, KP, and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi due to rain-related incidents in the past two days. An alert by the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) about a possible flood-like situation in various parts of the country has prompted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to order the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to be prepared to deal with potential emergencies.