ISLAMABAD:
Rising temperatures and an intense heatwave across the country have accelerated the melting of glaciers, significantly increasing the risks of landslides and flooding in northern and mountainous regions.
The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an alert regarding the expected weather situation across the country from May 26 to 31.
According to the NDMA, temperatures in most parts of the country are expected to be between 40 and 48 degrees Celsius, while Sindh, Balochistan and southern Punjab are expected to remain in the grip of severe heatwaves.
On the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the NDMA launched a review of nationwide preparedness measures in view of potential threats.
In line with the NDMA guidelines, provincial disaster management authorities have taken precautionary measures, including public awareness campaigns, deployment of emergency response teams, establishment of cooling centers and improvement of medical facilities.
According to the report, glaciers in Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and other mountainous regions are melting rapidly due to extreme heat, increasing the risk of landslides and floods.
The NDMA has identified high risk of landslides in Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit, Chilas, Astore, Shigar, Chitral, Kalam, Upper Kohistan and several areas of Azad Kashmir.
The authority has warned that link roads between Shimshal, Attabad Lake, Karimabad, Gulmit, Shishkat Bala and Passu may be affected by landslides, while closure of Karakoram Highway, Shigar Valley Road, Skardu Road and Deosai Road is also feared.
Meanwhile, rapid melting of glaciers and possible glacial lake floods (GLOFs) could trigger flooding situations in several regions, including Darkot, Lasht, Reshun, Booni, Badswat, Shisper, Gilgin, Hinarche, Roshan and Kumrat.
The NDMA further warned that hill torrents and rivers may overflow while threats of floods also persist in Hunza, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Ghanche, Shigar, Chitral, Dir, Swat and Kohistan.
In Sindh, Jacobabad, Qambar Shahdadkot, Dadu, Jamshoro, Khairpur, Sanghar, Umerkot, Sukkur, Ghotki and Mirpurkhas are expected to remain severely affected by the heatwave.
Similarly, Chagai, Washuk, Kharan, Turbat, Sibi, Nasirabad and Jaffarabad in Balochistan are also likely to experience extreme temperatures.
In Punjab, temperatures are expected to rise further in Multan, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Muzaffargarh, Bhakkar, Layyah, Lahore, Sahiwal and Kasur.
