Monsoon Season: Chapter 2011

Umair Anwar

Monsoon season- an end to draught; a requisite to a hale and hearty crop & livestock; cause for chirping of birds on washed lush green trees and news for a cool temperature after the worst heat of June. A country with an agro-based economy surely needs a monsoon season for its economic survival.

In Pakistan, monsoon season generally starts from July and remains for some time. Besides its merits, the rainy season is characterized along with some problems that revulsion this season. A press release issued by the Meteorological Department forecasted normal rainfall this season. But due to the global warming factor and the current circumstances, regarding the advent of monsoon season, some extra apt measures to lessen the despondency beard by the citizens in terms of property, life and health are required.      

The wreckage caused owed to last year’s monsoon (affecting one-fifth of the country – approximately 62,000 square miles) had endowed with enough lessons to espouse precautionary measures, since the probability of intense cloudburst is still high. Flooding of rain water, sewerage overflows and contamination of drinking water are a few among many issues faced during this season. These quandaries contribute in many health problems including water borne diseases.

Currently, Water & Sanitation Authority (WASA) is responsible for waste water services, storm water drainage and bulk water supply in major cities, claiming the collection efficiency of 77% and service delivery of 16-23 hours daily in Lahore. And still water can be seen dilapidated on streets and roads of old towns during the rains.   

The Achilles’ heel in our system arises from many non-concrete measures. Short term planning and lack of far sightedness act as a bump on the road towards development. The fleeting way out go kaput at the hour of need, resulting into a complete failure of administration. Beside these, government has a separate department for disaster management called National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Though, it cannot be avoided that consistently intensifying rural-urban migration has also created tougher course for water supply and sanitation agencies to cope up with the basic urban services.

 Monsoon season brings in composure at the point of high temperature of summers but lack of comprehensive visions, governance, planning and infrastructure bars its flavor. Despite the fact, water and sanitation coverage has improved in contrast to earlier period but a call for new policies is needed for all intent and purpose, which could convene the emergency situations. Apposite supervision in urban/ rural improvement can help in controlled and planned progress of water supply and sanitation to have a debonair milieu during monsoon season.

(Writer is a Financial Consultant in an International Firm)

(Umairanwar_090@hotmail.com)