Balochistan’s caretaker Information Minister, Jan Achakzai, announced on Thursday that Gwadar had been declared a disaster-stricken area due to the distressing situation following recent torrential rains.
The Chief Minister’s Office has endorsed the decision to declare Gwadar a calamity-hit city.
Achakzai stated that caretaker Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki had been actively monitoring relief activities for Gwadar and other surrounding rain-hit areas.
The torrential rains battered Gwadar as the absence of a drainage system resulted in rainwater accumulating not only on roads and streets but also seeping into residential and commercial properties.
Moreover, flooding is being reported in streams and small rivers in the affected area as the soil could not absorb the massive quantity of water produced by the intense rains.
Consequently, many locals have been compelled to leave their homes and relocate to safer places on a self-help basis. There are reports of several houses and buildings collapsing, along with the suspension of electricity supply and internet services.
Pakistan is witnessing more extreme weather events under the worsening climate change crisis, as global warming means the westerly winds are carrying more water compared to the past, due to the higher evaporation rate produced by rising temperatures.
Furthermore, the weather pattern has been severely affected, with rains becoming irregular and intense simultaneously, leading to more sunshine and prolonged dry periods.
On Wednesday, the Met Office stated that Gwadar received 125mm of rain during the past 24 hours [till 8 am on Wednesday], in addition to 57.80mm recorded a day earlier.
Simultaneously, heavy rain was also recorded in Jiwani – another town located on the Balochistan coast to the west of Gwadar – where the total amount stood at 137mm. A similar situation was witnessed north of Gwadar in Chagai and adjoining areas of southwestern Balochistan; however, no rain data was available for these locations.