Lahore submerged
2014-09-07
UCH of Lahore is currently inundated and a large number of homes, especially those in low-income localities, have suffered damage because of the incoming floods. All damage to infrastructure in the city is in addition to the tragedy of numerous rain-related deaths in the provincial capital and northcountry generally. Most of the deaths occurred because of roofs and walls collapsing as the heavens opened up, an indictment of the enforcement or, more accurately, the lack thereof of building codes. But the flooding in Lahore in particular, a city that is used to the annual monsoon deluge, holds certain crucial lessons for the authorities here as well as in other cities.
The last time Lahore witnessed flooding on a comparable scale was in 1996, when the situation was so dire that people had to be rescued from their homes in boats. Following this experience, city authorities invested heavily in putting in place storm drainage networks and buying related machinery. Since then, even through the flood years, Lahore has remained relatively free from the long-term accumulation of water. Of course, after a downpour water would collect in some places, but it did not overwhelm the drainage network. So what happened this time around? True, the recent rains were heavy and sustained, but this time certain other factors have compounded the crisis. One factor is linked to the city`s needs for drainage. These have, over the years, outstripped the capacity of the drainage network which has not been developed at a commensurate pace. City development, if it is to be sustainable in the long term, is a constant balancing act. Every new building, road expansion or constricted green space has an impact on other areas of the city. For example, an extra lane for motorists means, as we see in parts of Canal Road, less green space which is vital for absorbing water. Without holistic and thorough planning that takes a broad view, situations such as the one currently faced by Lahore are inevitable.