The business community of Multan has voiced serious concerns after the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), issued a warning that areas around the River Chenab in Punjab could be affected by flash floods and demanded of the authorities to take immediate precautionary measures in this regard.
The business community raised these concerns after over 50 people in north Punjab died during recent flash floods that were triggered by heavy monsoon rains and a fresh warning issued by NDMA. The Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), President, Fareed Mughis Sheikh voicing his concerns over the fresh NDMA warning, said expected floods in north Punjab will most likely take a toll on the economy. To avert floods, "Water reservoirs are our best defence against floods, but it's sad that no attention is paid to construction of water reservoirs and no major dam has been constructed during the past four decades, while the water storage capacity in existing dams has depleted considerably with the passage of time", Fareed Sheikh said.
He also appealed that the Kalabagh Dam project should not be politicised. "The Kalabagh Dam should be constructed at all costs as it will store rain water and also protect against floods - there should be consensus on building the controversial Kalabagh Dam, and if constructed it will also have a large water storage capacity", said Fareed Sheikh.
Floods in the past have collectively cost nearly US $40 billion in looses and yet the government has taken no concrete steps to guard against frequent floods that claim a high human death toll, damage and destruction of property and substantial loss to the economy, said Fareed Sheikh. He said, to counter floods we need to review plans and take immediate steps to counter floods and must also upgrade the current flood warning system.