Pakistan badly affected by floods !

Indian fan felt very happy as India beat Pakistan in Asia Cup, first encounter in 2022.  Pakistan batting first were all out for 147 with Bhuvneshwar taking 26/4 and Hardik Pandy claiming 25/3 with short balls, well directed. Though India lost KL Rahul without scoring and suffered a mini-collapse, Kohli, Jadeja, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik all batted sensibly, taking India home.

It was an allround performance by Hardik Pandya – he bowled with zest and pace, pitching it short with steep bounce taking 3 wickets.  Then when the result was in Q,   hit three boundaries in the 19th over. In the final over,  Mohammad Nawaz brought it to six required off three, but Hardik sealed it with a flat six over long-on to end up with 33 off 17. Not a Cricket post .. those of us who watched the match, would have observed Paki Cricketers sporting a black arm band !

While Europe, China and some other regions of the world are experiencing a severe drought, Pakistan is facing one of the worst floods in its recent history. Reports say about 110 of the 150 districts in the country are affected by the flooding. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also confirmed  that over 1,000 people were confirmed dead in the floods so far. The flooding, the result of an unusually wet monsoon season in Pakistan this year, started in July, but has worsened over the last couple of weeks. The regions of Sindh and Balochistan, comprising the western half of Pakistan, have been badly hit, although Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa too have been affected.

Sad to read that Millions of people have been affected by floods in Pakistan, hundreds have been killed, and the government has declared a national emergency. As of now, the monster monsoon in the neighbouring country has killed at least 1,033 people, including 348 children, and left 1,527 more injured, according to the recent figures released by Pak's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The heavy downpour is said to have affected more than 33 million people and continues to scourge parts of Pakistan, with at least 110 districts being hit by the floods. A total of 72 districts in the country have been declared calamity hit as it grapples with its worst natural disasters in over a decade, according to Geo News.A total of 949,858 houses have been ruined in overflows, out of which 287,412 have been entirely damaged while 662,446 homes have been partially destroyed. More than 700,000 livestock has also died in flood-related incidents, reported Hindustan Times.

In the old town of Sukkur in southern Sindh province, worn tents line the streets, as people seek shelter. Many sit with just beds - all their possessions lost to the water. The streets are flooded, and plastic waste has spewed out of sewage pipes. Large pools of dirty water have collected, slowing down any drainage. Residents are worried the standing water will bring waterborne diseases with it. It's been raining all week in Sindh province and there's been little respite for communities hoping to return home to see what can be salvaged.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan has said the "magnitude of the calamity" is bigger than expected, after visiting flood-hit areas. Shehbaz Sharif was speaking from Sindh province - which has had nearly eight times its average August rainfall.   BBC reported that as they drove through Sindh, there were displaced people in every village. The full scale of the devastation in the province is yet to be fully understood - but the people described it as the worst disaster they've survived.

Floods are not uncommon in Pakistan, but people here said these rains were different - more than anything that's ever been seen. One local official called them "floods of biblical proportions". Near the city of Larkana, thousands of mud homes have sunk under water. For miles all that's visible is treetops. Where the water level is slightly lower, thatched roofs creep out from underneath the water.  In one village, the people are desperate for food. In another, many children have developed waterborne diseases. When a mobile truck pulled over, scores of people immediately ran towards it. Children carrying other children made their way to the long queue. The desperation was evident in every community. People ran towards car windows to ask for help - anything.

The Men in Green wore  a black arm band on their sleeves in their  clash vs India. That was  to show their solidarity for the Pakistani critizens back home. Babar Azam's side was paying respect to the lives lost, giving solidarity to the people back home amid the huge crisis. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
29^th Aug 2022.