Causes of Floods in Pakistan by KAINAT MUNIBA KHAN

The reason behind floods is not just natural calamities, but also the sins of mankind. Every living thing on the Earth is the part of an eco-system created by God. There is a natural balance and equilibrium in this eco-system. When an external force interferes with the eco-system of the Earth, its equilibrium is badly shattered. Nature can tolerate external interference to only some extent, after which, terrible consequences are unleashed. These consequences can be seen in different forms. They might be in the form of hot, boiling lava which erupts from terrifying volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or cloud bursts leading to floods. Humans are the only creatures who do not learn a lesson from such natural calamities and keep interfering with the balance of nature. Mankind has been tarnishing the natural beauty for centuries. Even seas and rivers revolt when they are deprived of the land which was once their territory. The increasing human population is forcibly reclaiming seas to accommodate the larger numbers of humans. In Pakistan, there have been floods worse than the floods causing a disaster in the country at present. However, in terms of loss of lives and property, the current flood is the worst one in the history of the country. One of the reasons behind this flood is that populations have settled near the banks of rivers. Due to a long period of draught, the flow and volume of water in River Sindh had greatly reduced. So, people had settled near it. Therefore, these were the first ones to be affected by the floods in that region. The people of the Northern Areas of Pakistan and Khyberpakhtunkhwa had to face the greatest amount of damage and loss. The disastrous flood has consumed entire populations living near the river. During the season of monsoons, Indian opens its spillways causing millions of cusecs of water to be diverted towards Pakistan. As a result, the rivers start overflowing. Moreover, the silt present in rivers and dams causes their apparent water level to rise beyond their capacity, since the silt has already reduced their capacity to hold water. This is another reason that leads to floods. Trees can act as a barrier to the flood water. However, large scale cutting down of huge forests has deprived us of this natural shield. Furthermore, the roots of trees hold the soil. Due to cutting down of these trees, soil starts eroding. This is one of the major reasons why our dams and rivers have become silted. Another reason behind floods is rain water which fails to reach the seas. In India and Pakistan, sewers are not cleaned regularly. Blockages in the sewer systems cause them to start boiling over. During rain season, these sewers flood the nearby regions. Continuous rain is the major reason behind floods. Moreover, increase in global warming causes glaciers to melt which causes the water level of rivers to rise. This is how nearby regions are swallowed up by the disastrous flood water.