Every calamity is a result of the past foul plays by people in authority, with either myopic views or sinister drives. Similarly each calamity also serves as a warning sign against future foul plays.

Floods of 2022 may have been caused by monsoon on steroids and glacial melt due to global warming, but prior to all these cataclysmic events, the flawed policies (or lack of them) paved way for out of proportion destruction.

“We just dust off our hands after each event and forget the lessons learned,” said Kaiser Bengali who was part of Sindh government and a consultant to Chief Minister amid 2010 floods.

“Reports and analyses suggested ways that could be taken up to minimize the effects of these floods, but as soon as the intensity of the onslaught faded everyone went home and ignored the wisdom that was attained at heavy costs.”

Dams or no dams? Indus Delta people have something to say

It all started in July, when Sindh and Balochistan received six times the rain they normally get. The total rain water, and the flash floods that followed, averaged more than what had been there since 30 years. It is also true that Pakistan has been plagued so comprehensively by the climate change that it suffers all sorts of malaise that can be dreaded: drought, heat wave, prolonged summers and monsoon bouts, extreme winters, unprecedented rains etc.

However, experts all agree that floods that the destruction they cause are more often than not are results of malpractices and neglect in policy making.