Punjab, the land of mighty rivers and flowing canals, has witnessed many deluges that have caused losses to the tune of billion of rupees, besides damaging lives and property of the public. Although the flood management is the responsibility of the provinces, a number of federal departments are entrusted by the Federal Flood Commission, which acts as a coordinating body with the provincial departments and technical agencies, to help control the floods. Actually, up to the end of 1976, the provincial governments were responsible for planning and executing the flood protection works. The disastrous floods of 1973 and 1976 resulted in heavy losses, indicating that the protection facilities and planning at that time were inadequate to cope with the great deluges. In January 1977, the Federal Flood Commission was established. This is the principal institution for flood planning and control in Pakistan. Its mandate includes the preparation of the National Flood Protection Plan, approval of flood control schemes, review of flood damages, plans for reconstruction works, improvements in flood forecasting and warning system, monitoring and evaluation etc.

In the province of Punjab, the Irrigation and Power department, Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (PIDA), Crises and Relief Department and Civil Defence Organizations are mainly responsible for taking necessary measures in mitigating the floods. Meanwhile, the Pakistani Army also provides skilled manpower and the technical support in times of need. In addition, the Health, Agriculture, Livestock, Food and Communication & Works Departments also play their role in flood management in consultation with the district administration.

According to the flood data of the last 62 years, the country has suffered cumulative financial losses of more than Rs. 385 billion (6 billion dollars) on account of 15 major floods. Besides that, more than 7,800 precious lives have been lost in addition to the dislocation of millions of people during the floods.

There are multiple reasons that cause the floods to occur, like floods in rivers are caused by heavy concentrated monsoon rains, flash floods result due to cloudbursts and hill torrents in Southern Punjab. In Punjab, most flood-prone districts include Mianwali, Bhakkar, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, D.G. Khan, Rajanpur, Jhelum, Khushab, Jhang, Sargodha, Kasur, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Bahawalpur, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, T.T. Singh, Khanewal and Lahore.

The flood disaster management policy of the Punjab government is aimed to achieve the objectives of public safety, protection of life and property of people and security of vital infrastructures like canals, rail lines and offices etc. The provincial Government is committed to improve watershed and river management practices. Espousal of a community participation approach for effective flood preparedness, fighting and rehabilitation is equally important. An improved flood forecasting system has been developed and reliable interaction between all related flood control and relief agencies is ensured. The Punjab Relief Department, set up in  1975 as an independent organization, deals with measures to mitigate natural calamities such as floods, famine, war, fire and earth quake etc. The governing Act is the Punjab National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act, 1958. This department organizes rescue operations with the help of the army, provides adequate resource support to district governments through co-ordination with provincial government departments/agencies, ensures the provision of necessary budgetary allocations to the district governments for relief work, oversee the working of district governments in the implementation of relief measures, obtains field reports of losses and apprises the provincial government/federal government and assesses and evaluates losses and suggests to the provincial government the provision of relief for affected persons. Before the commencement of the rainy/flood season, all the District Coordination Officers are asked to prepare Evacuation Plans for the places declared vulnerable, and the evacuation is to take place between the time gap of early warning and the influx of the actual disaster without exposing the population to any hazard.

Actually, flood management in the Indus Basin is a multi-dimensional process that demands intensive resources and require efficient coordination between various government agencies. However, even advanced flood management systems are no guarantee against flood disasters, as has often been proved in the more developed countries, like the case of Hurricane Katrina in the US. Tsunamis are another particular case to study, and Punjab, being an agricultural economy, can ill afford to risk its agricultural infrastructure, which consists of dams, barrages and irrigation canals that can be under severe stress in major flood events.

Currently, the flood management policy of Punjab is more reactive than proactive in dealing with the flood issues. However, with the preparation of the National Water Policy, the flood situation is likely to change with far reaching effects on the flood management process. Policy provides the necessary legal and institutional framework to improve the flood management process in Punjab.

Although the Water Policy provides the necessary guidelines for flood management, there is a need for a separate policy for flood management to deal specifically with the flood issues. Such a policy may outline the details of policy framework for flood management. It is worth noting here that a new paradigm in flood management that considers floods as a resource rather than a natural threat can be very helpful in achieving the environmental objectives of the government, which are set under various international conventions to which Pakistan is a signatory.

It is envisaged that the flood forecasting capabilities would be improved considerably under the second Flood Protection Sector Project being undertaken by the Federal Flood Commission. The task of quantifying the flood risk through detailed studies and subsequent measures required in minimizing the risk should be a priority.

And in the end, we must not forget that Pakistan, being the downstream user of the rivers and also embroiled in political conflicts with the upper riparian state of India, has to be particularly cautious about its flood management system, as India has successfully developed several structures like the Bhakra Nagal Dam on Sutlej, Pong Dam on Beas and Thein Dam on Ravi that have further augmented its potential to relocate flood surges to Pakistan. This has happened many times in the past and India’s present water policy is aimed at converting Pakistan into a waterless country with no agriculture to feed the 170 million people.