The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is bracing for intensified monsoon rains predicted to continue across Pakistan until the first 10 days of September, Chairman Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik announced on Sunday. The current monsoon spell, the seventh to hit the nation, is expected to persist until August 22nd, followed by another system bringing heavier downpours from August 23rd to 30th.
The NDMA is coordinating relief and rehabilitation operations with provincial governments, focusing on restoring vital connectivity in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where bridges and roads have been severely damaged. Following Prime Minister”s directives, relief packages containing rations, medical supplies, and tents will be dispatched to districts with significant casualties and displacement.
The agency has formulated a detailed monsoon contingency plan, identifying high-risk zones. Northeastern regions, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and southeastern areas like Tharparkar, Sujawal, Tando Allah Yar, Tando Muhammad Khan, and Badin are expected to face the brunt of the rainfall. Three converging weather systems over Pakistan are anticipated to amplify monsoon activity.
The NDMA revealed that over 340 lives have been lost due to flash floods and landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Northern Pakistan, northeastern and southern Punjab, the Salt Range, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand and Hazara divisions, and central Balochistan are deemed most vulnerable. Post-monsoon, the NDMA will prioritize repairing damaged infrastructure, including roads and bridges.