Countrywide floods: BMP questions ability of NDMA, govts to mitigate suffering

LAHORE: The FPCCI’s Businessmen Panel (BMP) on Sunday asked the government to form a comprehensive strategic plan to tackle flood waves in future, as the floods would have severe consequences on the already fragile economy of the country and inflation.

The BMP Chairman and FPCCI former president Mian Anjum Nisar said that the businessmen are with the flood-affected people in their dire need for rescue, relief and rehabilitation, appealing the entire nation, overseas Pakistanis, and the international community to come forward to aid those affected by the present floods in the country.

Anjum Nisar said that there will be shortages of farm produce and their prices will sky-rocket. The cultivation of next crop is doubtful and the rice export target of $2 billion does not look achievable, as the lives of the flood-affected people are in miserable condition because their houses have been destroyed and they are living under open skies. He said that the business community, who had already displayed remarkable philanthropic spirit in the past, should come forward once again and contribute generously in cash and kind to support the rescue and relief efforts of the government and other relevant organisations.

He called upon all governments and institutions, NGOs and volunteers to offer their expertise and leadership to rescue, evacuate, and rehabilitate the affectees by providing them shelter, food and medical facilities.

To what extent the NDMA has honoured its mandate can be best testified by those who have suffered. The wide coverage provided by the media throws some light on the effectiveness of NDMA and the governments in mitigating people’s sufferings. All is definitely not well and much is left to be desired out of NDMA and the governments.

People are seen marooned in batches in the midst of flood water all around, pleading since days for food, water and shelter. They complain that they were taken by surprise with no warning and were left with no time to save their livestock and belongings. For them all has been lost. No doubt the armed forces have done a good job in rescuing the people to safety.

He said that estimates of losses suggest the country will return to the international market to make heavy imports of the cotton commodity this year to run textile mills, which earn around 60 percent of the total export proceeds of the country. He projected that the country would barely produce 5 million bales of cotton this year compared to the pre-rainfall estimate of 9 million bales. Pakistan has to import around 8 million bales to meet textile mills’ demand this year, he anticipated.

Currently, it was the cotton-picking season, which provides an opportunity for livelihood to thousands of women and men, but due to the crop destruction, they could not find employment. He further briefed millions of farmers and labourers have been pushed into poverty by the rains, but the government has not announced any assistance so far.

He said unprecedented rains and resultant floods had damaged standing crops, affected roads, bridges and embankments, and disrupted communication and transportation infrastructure, making rescue and relief efforts an uphill task. The rural economy is badly hit, roads are under water. After heavy rains continued to lash parts of country, leaving thousands of families stranded and homeless and caused billions of rupees and property damage to the agricultural sector. He urged the international community to provide their expertise, hi-tech technology, and required machinery to the relevant government institutions to help restore infrastructure and provide their logistic and humanitarian support to help relevant government agencies cope with the enormous task of aiding the flood victims across the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022