Pakistani Contends with their Biggest Lake Overflowing

Pakistani authorities are struggling to stop their biggest lake from bursting its banks after last-ditch attempts to lower water levels failed.

Manchar Lake, in Sindh province, is ‘dangerously full’ after record monsoons that inundated a third of Pakistan.

Three breaches of the lake’s banks so far – to protect areas downstream – have displaced over 100,000 people.

But it could still overflow and rescue teams are racing to evacuate many more people who remain at risk of drowning.

Floods in Pakistan have affected some 33 million people and killed at least 1,314, including 458 children, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Agency said

Estimates suggest the floods have caused at least $10bn (£8.5bn) of damage.

Sindh province produces half of the country’s food supply, “exacerbating fears that many will face serious food shortages in a country already struggling with an economic crisis.”

On Sunday, officials breached Manchar lake after it had flooded two rural towns, in the hope that it would prevent it from further bursting its banks and inundating more densely-populated areas.

The move affected an estimated 400 villages – a total of 135,000 people. The decision to deliberately flood some villages is a controversial one – the lake “straddles two districts, Dadu and Jamshoro, both home to hundreds of thousands of people and about 80% of the region is underwater.”

Evacuations
Villagers affected by the deliberate breach were warned to evacuate. But local sources say not everyone was taken to safety in time – some didn’t want to leave their homes or livestock, a lifeline for many in rural communities, and there are few places for them to go.

The military has been brought in to help with evacuations but mostly locals are coming to each other’s aid.

Some who’ve left their homes in the last few days ahead of the Manchar breach were taken to a nearby government-run facility that’s being used as a shelter for the displaced, but “the conditions leave much to be desired.”

BBC /Shakirat Sadiq