The city's businessmen and industrialists have revealed their concerns over flash floods and called for precautionary measures to control them. Their concerns came after over 50 people died in the north in flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains. President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Muhammad Arshad warned that the flooding was hurting the economy.
He also called for the upkeep of the current flood warning system and replacement of it with a more advanced one. "Water reservoirs are one of the best solutions to control the floods, but it is a matter of concern that least attention is being given towards this. On the one hand, no big dam has been constructed for over the past four decades, while on the other the water storage capacity of the existing dams is decreasing with the passage of time," he said.
He then talked about building the controversial Kalabagh Dam with its huge storing water capacity. "The Kalabagh Dam should be constructed at any cost as it will store rain water and avoid the floods. Floods have caused a collective loss of around $40 billion." He was also critical of the government for spending less on flood defences to get rid of the cash loss and spiralling deaths, saying budget for such steps should be reviewed and enhanced immediately. But he also blamed deforestation in the country for a rapid rise in pollution and distortion of natural order.
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