Flood-hit Pakistan bids to stop its largest lake from overflowing

 The United Nations has warned that the humanitarian situation in Pakistan could worsen as authorities struggle to stop the collapse of the country's largest lake amid unprecedented flooding that has inundated a third of the South Asian country.

Officials have tried to lower the water level by widening a gap in Lake Mansar in southern Sindh province, but have so far been unsuccessful. "We have widened the front gap in Manjar to reduce the rise in water levels," provincial irrigation minister Jam Khan Shuro told Reuters.

Officials said 100,000 people have already been relocated to prevent the lake from overflowing, and hundreds of thousands more could be affected if it overflows its banks. Akbar Leshari, one of the residents of the lake, said in a telephone conversation: "After the first breach of the lake on Sunday, "after the breach in Manjar, the water started flowing, at first it stagnated."

Local government official Morteza Shah said on Tuesday that people were helping to fortify the towns of Juhi and Mehr in Sindh province, which were badly hit by monsoon floods. Shah added that 80 to 90 percent of the population had left the cities. The rest are trying to strengthen the existing dams with equipment provided by the district authorities. A moat built by local residents holds back the water and turns the Juhi water into a virtual island. Pakistan received nearly 190 percent more than its 30-year average rainfall in July–August, totaling 390.7 mm (15.38 in), while the southern province of Sindh received 466 percent more than average. More than 33 million people in Pakistan have been affected by floods, which have been exacerbated by climate change. The floods killed at least 1,300 people and submerged homes, businesses, roads and bridges.

 

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/6/un-warns-of-humanitarian-crisis-in-flood-ravaged-pakistan