Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Friday said the abnormal monsoon torrential rains caused the heaviest floods in the country’s history that submerged many parts of the southern region.
She was addressing the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Climate Change held under the chair of MNA Nuzhat Pathan.
Sherry said situation was bad as rains ha not been taking any breaks with up to 1,100 millimeters rains in many flood-hit areas, adding, “30 districts of Sindh have been submerged and this committee should take notice of that.”
The minister underlined that it was a natural disaster but the mother nature was brought to this level after unbridled anthropogenic activities.
She mentioned that communication link with Balochistan had also ended, adding, “Our helicopters are reaching the affected areas but they are coming back due to unfavourable weather conditions.”
There were many people still trapped in the affected areas and the government had no idea about where to draw the accumulated water, Sherry Rehman said.
Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Asif Haider Shah also briefed committee on the mandate of ministry in prevailing scenario and presented his suggestions to the forum.
MNA Murtaza Javed Abbasi raised the issue of crushing plants installed at the Margalla Hills National Park and Khanpur Dam areas.
Inspector General of Forest, Ministry of Climate Change Ghulam Qadir Shah told committee that there were 31 crush plants functional as of now in region and 11 of them were registered and the rest were illegal.
“We have closed down several crush plants and cases of five crushing plants are also under trial in the Supreme Court.”
He underscored that Afghan mafia was behind the ordeal. “We raised our voice at the assembly as young children are suffering 30% hearing loss and the people have been protesting against the plants for the past two years. Due to these rains, crushing waste is going into Khanpur Dam,” he added.
