Unprepared every year

This year’s monsoon season has transformed what was once a period of joy and renewal into a season of fear and tragedy across Pakistan. Torrential rains have claimed hundreds of lives, leaving families in mourning and entire communities shattered.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the ongoing monsoon has already claimed 279 lives and injured 676 people nationwide. Punjab alone has lost 151 lives. More than 1,553 homes have been destroyed and 374 livestock lost, displacing countless families.

Despite clear warnings, our institutions have once again been caught unprepared. The NDMA appears to focus more on reporting death tolls than preventing tragedies. Communities are left to face washed away roads, collapsed houses and disrupted access to essential relief and medical services.

Drainage systems in major cities must be upgraded, illegal construction along waterways must be removed and flood resilient infrastructure must be built in disaster prone areas. The monsoon should not remain a season of trauma.

SHANZA IKHLAS

KARACHI