Islamabad, Aug 19: This monsoon season, Sukkur has had unusually high levels of precipitation; in one day, the city recorded 290mm of rain, shattering a 77-year record. The previous record, which was achieved in 2022 with 374mm of rain falling over 12 days, is greatly exceeded by this downpour. In a statement released on Sunday, the province officials said that the recent rainfall in Sukkur is the most substantial in almost 80 years.
Barrister Arsalan Islam Sheikh, the mayor of Sukkur and spokesman for the Sindh government, stated that 80% of the city has successfully finished the dewatering process. Work is still being done in the remaining sections, and it is anticipated that normalcy will soon return to the city.
According to him, the Sukkur Municipal Corporation upgraded its disposal facilities and installed heavy-duty generators and other equipment in 57 low-lying districts as a preventative measure against such catastrophic weather. Even with the extensive flooding that has affected Old Sukkur, Ghanta Ghar, and other areas, swift action has been able to keep things under control.
Weather-related disasters are typical throughout the monsoon season, which spans from June to September, experts stress that the frequency and intensity of these events are increasing due to climate change. Pakistan contributes less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, but it is nevertheless quite sensitive to the effects of climate change.
A third of Pakistan was drowned by devastating flooding in 2022, which left over 1,700 people dead, 33 million displaced, and thousands of homes destroyed. The state of affairs in Sukkur today highlights how serious the country’s climate-related problems are becoming.
