Arguably, torrential rains that have hit central and upper Punjab in particular seem to have vindicated the stance of the then Balochistan legislators who had cited floods as one of the prime reasons in their resolution through which they had sought postponement of the schedule July 25 elections. Given the enormity of challenge that drastic changes in the environmental patterns pose, nothing could be said about the flood situations with any degree of certainty as we near the polls. There is, therefore, hardly any doubt about the fact that the weather situation has given birth to some legitimate doubts about the sanctity of general election date. Campaigning for the general election may end in accordance with the pre-poll schedule, but there are no ways to tame, restrict or discipline weather as it can play spoilsport on the very eve of July 25 or on the day when nation votes to elect National Assembly and provincial assemblies.
On Tuesday, monsoon rains swept across several upper parts of the country and battered Lahore division for 18 hours, causing flooding in many parts of the city and claiming eight lives in various rain-related incidents. The Mall, the pre-Partition face of Lahore, presented a very disturbing picture. A portion of this major city thoroughfare near the recently dug underground station of the Orange Line Metro Train caved in because of heavy rainfall, forming two large craters on a newly-constructed stretch of Mall Road, near the General Post Office intersection. Rainwater kept draining into big gaps that opened up, threatening the foundations of the multi-billion-rupee underground rail station and the adjacent historic buildings. Amid the record downpour, 200 power feeders tripped and most of them remained non-functional throughout the day. Two young men died after the roof of their house inside the Walled City collapsed, and six others died from electric shocks in various parts of the city. As many as 10 people were reported injured in rain-related incidents. The rains have caused more havoc in various parts of the country since.
Be that as it may, the current spell of downpours seems to have disputed the credibility of much of the outgoing Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif’s claims with regard to the creation and state of civic infrastructure in the entire province in general and the capital, Lahore, in particular. The question is why the planners of mega infrastructure failed to take into account the unprecedented vagaries of weather that have already begun to hit the country. There is, therefore, another key question: Doesn’t the situation underscore the need for working out a planning mechanism that is strongly characterized by a weather-centric approach. We must not lose sight of the fact that climate change is not just a future problem — it is here and now. Under no circumstances can nature’s intervention be ruled out. Moreover, the situation also underscores the need for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take all necessary steps with a view to addressing the critical question whether or not any worsening in rainy weather in the run up to the July 25 elections can undermine its preparations aimed at holding free, fair and transparent elections in the country. The ECP must be mindful of the fact that erratic monsoon rains are already threatening our various crops.
