Northern parts of Balochistan, including Quetta, Ziarat, Kan Mehtarzai, Killa Abdullah, Pishin, Barshor, Khojak hill, Khawaja Imran and Harbozai have been receiving snowfall for the third consecutive day and intense cold wave has gripped the entire region.
Besides, southern parts of the province including Panjgur, Jaffarabad, Dera Allah Yar, Noshki and Mastung have also been receiving rainfall for the last three days, regional met office sources informed.
According to reports reaching here some clay-built houses have collapsed after continuous rainfall in various districts of the province, but no casualty has so far been reported. The provincial capital has also been receiving rain for the last three days. The rain and snowfall has exposed the poor sanitation system of the provincial metropolis as most roads and streets are inundated causing serious problems in chilly weather for pedestrians and vehicles.
However, road traffic was not affected between Quetta and other parts of the province as a result of the wet spell. Farmers in Noshki, Kharan and Dalbandin expressed their pleasure over the recent rainfall as they say the rain would improve water table and help in cultivation.
The Met Office has forecast that the recent spell of snowfall will continue in Quetta, Killa Abdullah, Khojak, Ziarat, and some other northern parts Balochistan during the next 24 hours. While the rainfall will also continue in other parts of the province including Turbat, Makran, Sibi, Jaffarabad, Noshki, Panjgur and other southern parts of the province.
Meanwhile, a PIA official told APP that all Quetta-bound PIA flights from Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and coastal areas of Balochistan arrived and departed on schedule. However, two flights including a PIA Hajj flight and an Air Blue flight were cancelled as planned earlier, but not due to the snowfall in the provincial capital, he added. It is worth mentioning here that northern parts of Balochistan have been receiving snowfall in December and January for the last three years after a long spell of drought which prevailed in the province for eight years.