Thai storm kills six
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
Dozens rescued as monsoon floods hit Pakistani capital, Punjab province on high alert
ISLAMABAD: Heavy monsoon rains battered parts of Punjab and Islamabad over the past 24 hours, prompting rescue operations in the capital and a flood alert in riverine areas across the province, according to official statements on Wednesday. In its latest monsoon update, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) warned of continued rainfall in most districts until August 7, marking the sixth spell of the current monsoon season. The ongoing downpours come as Pakistan deals with seasonal flooding and has already recorded 303 rain-related deaths, including 164 in Punjab alone, since the beginning of the season on June 26. 'In the last 24 hours, 86mm of rainfall was recorded in Gujrat, 37mm in Narowal, 28mm in Multan, 27mm in Dera Ghazi Khan and 22mm in Jhelum,' the PDMA said in a statement, adding that rain was also reported in Sialkot, Attock, Mangla, Murree, Rawalpindi, Layyah, Mianwali and Kot Addu. 'All district administrations have been directed to remain on alert,' the statement quoted PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia as saying. 'We urge citizens to take precautions and not let children near rivers, canals or flooded streams.' Meanwhile, rescue teams in Islamabad evacuated more than 40 residents after floodwaters entered homes in Chattha Bakhtawar, a low-lying area in the capital. The spillway of Rawal Dam was opened at 11:00 AM after the water level reached 1,750.90 feet, according to a notice issued by Islamabad authorities. Residents were also advised to stay away from surrounding water bodies and take necessary safety measures. The PDMA said the flow of water remained normal in all major rivers including the Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej, with only a low-level flood reported at Tarbela on the Indus River. Tarbela Dam is currently 95 percent full, while Mangla stands at 62 percent. Indian dams across the eastern rivers, according to the statement, are reported to be 56 percent full. Since the start of the monsoon season, 727 people have been injured, 563 houses completely destroyed, and 428 livestock perished in rain-related incidents in Pakistan. In the past 24 hours, three more people were reported injured due to monsoon-related accidents. Islamabad's Capital Development Authority (CDA) said no injuries were reported during Tuesday's flood rescue in Chattha Bakhtawar, where 12 emergency personnel responded within a short span to the residents' call, evacuating up to 45 people. Emergency officers confirmed the operation was completed and the area had been cleared.
Arab News
16 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistani musicians use folk songs and rap to raise climate change awareness
UMERKOT, Pakistan: Villagers hush when Pakistani folk musician Sham Bhai starts singing about climate change, her clear voice rising above the simple squat dwellings. 'We are the people of the south. The winds seem to be blowing from the north. The winds seem cold and warm. My heart is burned from seeing the collapsed houses in the rain. Oh, beloved, come home soon.' Sham is from Sindh, the Pakistani province worst-hit three years ago by climate-worsened deluges that affected tens of millions of people nationwide and washed away homes, farmland and infrastructure. She has toured a dozen villages in Sindh during the past two years, teaching people about climate adaptation and resilience through song, a useful medium for sharing information in places where literacy is low and Internet is scarce. 'When we give a message through song, it is easy to communicate to people because they understand it,' the 18-year-old singer told The Associated Press. She was performing in Umerkot district, singing in her native tongue and official provincial language, Sindhi, which is more likely to be spoken and understood in places like Umerkot than the official and national language of Pakistan, Urdu. Sindh recorded more than 1,000 rain-related deaths in a few months in 2022. The damage remains visible. Broken roads and flattened houses that residents never rebuilt. Floods submerged swathes of Sham's district, Tando Allahyar. News footage showed people wading through waist-deep water. 'The meaning of the song is that poor people's homes built on mud are not strong,' Sham explains. 'Women and children face hardship during the rains because they are vulnerable in the absence of men who go away to work. The women of the house call on their men to return because the weather is so bad.' Poverty and illiteracy deepen people's vulnerability. Alternating patches of parched and lush farmland flank the road to Umerkot. Dry and wet spells buffet the province, and local farmers have to adapt. They now focus on winter crops rather than summer ones because the rain is more predictable in the colder months. 'The monsoon season used to come on time, but now it starts late,' farmer Ghulam Mustafa Mahar said. 'Sometimes there is no rain. All patterns are off-course due to climate change for the last five years.' He and others have switched from crops to livestock to survive. There is little infrastructure away from the center of the district. Children get excited seeing sedans crunch through the dust. The area is mostly poor and very hot. Sindh's literacy rate falls to 38 percent in rural areas. Sham said singing informs those who can't learn about climate change because they can't read. Mindful of their audience, the three singers warm people up with popular tunes to catch their attention before launching into mournful tunes about the wind and rain, their lyrics inspired by writers and poets from Sindh. 'People are acting on our advice; they are planting trees and making their houses strong to face climate change,' said Sham. 'Women and children suffer a lot during bad conditions, which damage their homes.' Women and girls of all ages can be seen working outdoors in Sindh, tending to crops or livestock. They gather food and water, along with wood for fuel. They are predominantly restricted to this type of work and other domestic chores because of gender norms and inequalities. When extreme weather strikes, they are often the first to suffer. One villager said when heavy rain battered homes in 2022, it crushed and killed whoever was inside, including children. One woman is rapping for climate justice People in rural areas have no idea what climate change is, said Urooj Fatima, an activist from the city of Jhuddo. Her stage name is Sindhi Chhokri, and she is known locally for campaigning on issues such as women's rights. But she has turned her attention to raising awareness about climate change since flooding devastated her village in 2022 and again in 2024. 'We can engage a lot of audiences through rap. If we go to a village and gather a community, there are a maximum of 50. But everyone listens to songs. Through rap, we can reach out to hundreds of thousands of people through our voice and our message.' She said hip-hop isn't common in Pakistan, but the genre resonates because of its tradition as an expression of life, hardship and struggle. She has yet to finish her latest climate change rap, but wrote one in response to the 2022 flooding in neighboring Balochistan, the country's poorest and least developed province, because she felt it wasn't getting enough attention. She performed it at festivals in Pakistan and promoted it across her social media accounts. Officials at the time said more help was needed from the central government for people to rebuild their lives. 'There are potholes on the road; the roads are ruined,' raps Urooj. 'I am telling the truth. Will your anger rain down on me? Where was the Balochistan government when the floods came? My pen thirsts for justice. Now they've succeeded, these thieving rulers. This isn't a rap song, this is a revolution.' She and her sister Khanzadi campaign on the ground and social media, protesting, visiting villages, and planting thousands of trees. She wants the Sindh government to take climate change awareness seriously by providing information and education to those who need it the most, people living in rural areas. 'This happens every year,' said Urooj, referring to the floods. 'Climate change affects a person's whole life. Their whole life becomes a disaster.' She cites the disproportionate and specific impact of climate change on women and girls, the problems they experience with displacement, education, hygiene, and nutrition, attributing these to entrenched gender discrimination. 'For women, there are no opportunities or facilities. And then, if a flood comes from above, they face more difficulties.' She elicits controversy in rural areas. Half the feedback she receives is negative. She is undeterred from speaking out on social taboos and injustice. 'Rap is a powerful platform. If our rap reaches just a few people, then this is a very good achievement. We will not let our voices be suppressed. We will always raise our voices high.'
Arab News
a day ago
- Arab News
Pakistan warns of Sutlej River flooding as monsoon deaths surpass 300
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's disaster management agency on Tuesday warned of a potential flood situation along the Sutlej River due to sharp increases in water discharge and forecast heavy rainfall across northern India, as the country's monsoon death toll climbed to 302. The Sutlej, one of the five rivers that flow through Punjab province, runs from the Himalayas through India into eastern Pakistan. The alert comes as Pakistan continues to grapple with widespread monsoon damage. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), more than half of the 302 deaths since July 26 have occurred due to house collapses, followed by drownings and flash floods. Over 700 people have also been injured. 'As of 5 August 2025, River Sutlej's discharge at downstream Ferozepur (Ganda Singh Wala) rose sharply from 28,657 to 33,653 cusecs within an hour, indicating an upward trend,' the NDMA's National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) said in a statement. 'While the situation currently remains normal, further rise is anticipated due to forecasted heavy rainfall over Sutlej and Beas catchments in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as releases from Pong Dam [in India] through the power station.' The NEOC warned the Bhakra and Pong dams, currently at 55 percent and 56 percent of their storage capacity, may soon release additional water, potentially pushing the Sutlej to low flood levels at Ganda Singh Wala during the week. The statement said monsoon currents are actively penetrating upper and central Pakistan, with a westerly trough persisting over the north. The meteorological outlook for August 5 to 7 includes scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall in several regions, which could further swell rivers and canals. Authorities have urged residents in flood-prone areas, particularly those near canals, seasonal water streams and flood plains, to remain alert, limit travel during adverse weather and avoid entering rising waters. Local administrations have been directed to ensure drainage systems are cleared and emergency response teams are on high alert for potential evacuations or rescue operations. Citizens have also been advised to secure valuables and livestock and monitor official guidance via the NDMA's Disaster Alert app and media updates. NDMA said it was monitoring the situation in coordination with provincial and district authorities.
