Balochistan floods wash away major gas pipeline, supply hit in several cities

Quetta [Pakistan], August 20 (ANI): As torrential rains and flash floods continue to wreak havoc in Balochistan, a major gas pipeline in the province has been washed away suspending gas supply to many cities, media reports said.

According to Pakistan's local media outlet, ARY News, flooding in the Bolan river washed away a 24-inch-wide gas pipeline passing under the riverbed near the Bibi Nani area, suspending gas supply to Quetta, Pishin, Mastung, Kalat, Pishin, Ziarat and other towns.

Meanwhile, officials of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) have confirmed the incident and said officials were being made to link the pipeline to a narrower 12-inch pipeline to restore gas supply. However, the SSGC officials said, replacing the damaged pipeline might take at least three to four days after floodwater recedes.

Thousands of passengers have been left stranded near Fort Monroe at Dera Ghazi Khan, which connects Punjab with Balochistan, after three main highways connecting Balochistan to the rest of Pakistan were closed due to damage during the recent floods and heavy rainfall.

Recent floods and rainfall in Pakistan have created havoc in the country. National Highway 50 (DI Khan-Kuchlak, Quetta) was blocked due to landslides in Dhana Sar Town in Balochistan. Moreover, massive flooding in Musa Khail, district Balochistan, wiped out the roads causing suspension of traffic, ARY News reported.

Whereas, the road network connecting Balochistan with KP was blocked due to soil and land erosion in the mountains of Drazanda, Sherani district. The National Highway (N-25), also known as the RCD Highway that connects Karachi to Quetta, continued to remain closed after suffering damage during rains and floods.

A total of 18 bridges and 690 km of roads have been damaged amid the recent rains in the country. Balochistan has seen unprecedentedly heavy rains this year. On the other hand, the heavy rains and floods caused internet outages in Pakistan's central and northern parts.

National Telecommunication Company, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) said that heavy rains and floods in various regions had led to faults in the fibre optic network, reported The Express Tribune. PTCL is the main provider of internet bandwidth in central and northern Pakistan and millions rely on the service for internet connectivity.

"Due to heavy rains and floods, PTCL's optical fiber network is experiencing some technical faults. As a result, PTCL users in Northern and Central regions are facing Internet outage. Our teams are working to restore the services on priority," tweeted PTCL.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also confirmed the development and added that issues were reported in data networks between "South and North" which had caused internet connectivity issues, reported The Express Tribune.

"As reported by PTCL, issue has been reported in data networks between South and North which is causing internet connectivity issues. This issue is being investigated. PTA is monitoring the situation and further updates will be shared," tweeted PTA.

Internet users in Karachi also complained of connectivity issues on social media. Internet service providers, in their reply, said they have received an update from one of the upstream providers "regarding an outage on long haul due to flooding caused by weather conditions".

According to the statement issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), At least five more people have been reported dead amid heavy rains and floods in Balochistan, taking the overall tally to 207.

A total of 98 men, 48 women and 61 children died during the floods and rain across Balochistan. The Pakistani Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasted "above-normal" rainfall in most parts of the country in August, warning that heavy downpours could trigger flash flooding in hilly areas of eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), reported The Express Tribune.

In its outlook for August, the PMD also warned of urban flooding in plain areas such as major cities of Sindh, Punjab and KP. "Due to extreme hydro-meteorological events over catchments, riverine floods cannot be ruled out," it added.

Amidst the ongoing devastation and wreckage caused by heavy rains and floods in different parts of Pakistan, the Federal Ministry for Climate Change in Pakistan has warned of more rains in the coming weeks as the federal cabinet declared a "monsoon emergency" in the country.

At least 549 people have died in Pakistan in the past month as a result of flash floods brought on by unusually strong monsoon rains, with rural areas in the province of Balochistan among the worst affected, reported The Express Tribune.

Aside from the fatalities, the flooding had damaged more than 46,200 houses, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan said.

According to the NDMA, the past month saw 133 per cent more rain than the 30-year average, making it the wettest in three decades. (ANI)

Source: WORLD