Catastrophic floods devastate Pakistan with death toll nearly 1300, hundreds of thousands of people are living in relief camps

The flood situation in Pakistan is grim. Death toll is nearly 1,300 even as relief operations continue. Humanitarian aid in the form of basic necessities like food, shelter, medicines are the need of the hour. Aid has started to flow in from a number of countries. The first such assistance flight from France has landed in Islamabad. Innumerable number of people are forced to live in relief camps across Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab. Agencies of the government as well as private NGOs are continuing with their relief operations. These are described as a "humanitarian disaster of epic proportions." Large portions of the country continue to be submerged under water. This is especially in the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh in the south. On a rough estimate, nearly 1.5 million houses have suffered damages. Moreover, a large number of livestock has perished in the floods. 1,300 Dead In Pakistan's Devastating Floods, Over 5 Lakh Displaced.

Initial estimate of the damages have been put at USD 10 billion. However, international organizations are carrying out surveys. More than 700,000 families have received a lump some cash relief (per family). An amount of ₹ 18.25 billion has been already been disbursed on this account. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif went to a social media platform and wrote - "Despite challenges, Benazir Income Support Programme rolled out its operations within no time.” The authorities have called on the international community to support Pakistan. They have also assured the nation that the government would try to bring back normalcy at the earliest. The floods have drowned nearly a third of the country and affected more than 33 million people. The natural calamity came after four heatwaves and multiple raging forest fires. These highlight the effects of climate change in this part of Asia.

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Punjab has gone in for the Duck Bus to promote tourism

With an eye on promoting tourism, Punjab had launched a Duck Bus or amphibious bus service in the Harikae Wetland Sanctuary ahead of assembly polls. However, the bus is being replaced because the manufacturer had sent a trial version of the amphibious bus, which was a lighter type. That is being replaced with a new American amphibious bus.
Normal service is expected to resume within next 10-15 days. There will be training sessions for the divers-cum-drivers.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 17 February 2017.

The amphibious bus, also known as Harikae Cruise, is a double-mode tourist bus that had been launched by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on December 12 to attract tourists. The price of tickets is pegged at Rs 2,000 per person for a four kilometer ride that passes through nature's trail and bird watchtowers.
Incidentally, just two days after the launch of the duck bus, its operations had to be suspended because the water level in the Harikae reservoir had gone down - the duck bus needs a minimum water level of six feet for smooth sailing.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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