Gwadar declared calamity-hit as hours-long torrents continue to hit coastal town

The Balochistan government declared Gwadar a calamity-hit after another spell of stormy rains hit the coastal district of Balochistan on Thursday.

Life has been at a standstill due to hours-long stormy showers in the area for the past few days. People have been making a litany of complaints against the authorities over poor ‘response’.

The chief minister has signed a summary declaring that calamity had hit Gwadar, caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai said on Thursday.

Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai said that the summary to declare Gwaddar as calamity-hit has been signed. The situation is very concerning after the rains and the caretaker chief minister is monitoring the relief and rescue activities, he added.

In a press release, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said approximately 60 per cent of the dewatering of floodwater in Gwadar has been completed. Some 250 houses were reported to have been damaged and 21 persons sustained injuries in rain-related incidents, the authority said

Another threat is looming large as the NDMA said late night rain in province southern region of Balochistan from tonight (Thursday night), which might hamper the rescue efforts. A dam breach sets an alarm as the water may enter the down-pour affected area.

Reports suggest the district has been hit by the worst rains since 2010. It has been cut off from other parts of Balochistan and Karachi. The impact on daily life and livelihoods, especially for fishermen, is heartbreaking as many have seen their boats, the very essence of their livelihood, destroyed or sunk, a blow that compounds the tragedy of homes submerged under four feet of floodwater.

The flights’ operation at Gwadar International Airport was stopped yesterday. According to a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the water level reached six inches at the apron and other parts of the airport, which necessitated the closure of the flights’ operation. The spokesman further said that all airlines had been informed about the decision.

The paramilitary forces have sprung into action for the rescue and relief operations, highlighting the severity of the situation. The Army launched a relief operation and the Army engineers started road clearance and recovery of vehicles and dewatering of affected areas including markets and houses.

They saved five people in the cut-off area in Gwadar and Jewni. The Army is also distributing food products and relief materials to the affected people of Gwadar. A team of doctors from the Army Medical Corps has also been formed, and boats and a team of swimmers have been prepared to shift people to safer places.

TheArmy is conducting a full assessment of the damage caused by the rain in Gwadar on an emergency basis.

Experts warned last week that a rain-producing system was entering through Balochistan on February 25 and parts of the province and upper areas were expected to receive downpours and windstorms from February 27.

Reportedly, Municipal Committee Chairman Sharif Miandad said on Sunday that Gwadar was left in the lurch and called for declaring an emergency and labelling the area as the calamity-hit.