With the scorching temperature outside this year heat wave is expected to break all records of the previous years. Considering the rise in temperature and almost no signs of rain the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned citizens to brace themselves for the heat wave that is going nowhere for some time. The department considers the recent heat wave not a normal one.
The government needs to take the warnings issued by meteorological office seriously. The federal, as well as the provincial governments, need to take concrete steps to protect citizens from falling prey to the continued heat wave. The state needs to focus on Sind, as it is the area worst hit by the heat wave. At the same time, the most effective institution to provide any relief to the citizens is the district government.
With the warning of meteorological office, the fears are that more people may die because of the scorching heat. A considerable number of people will suffer from heatstroke and heat exhaustion. For quite some time the heat wave hits different parts of the country. It is a show of our collective failure that so far no measures have been taken to counter it.
Like the previous years, this year too Karachi has been affected the most because of a continuous heat wave. The need is to better equip the citizens with the guidelines and steps needed to be taken to counter the adverse effects of hot summers. The government should instruct the district government and administration of the cities to inform the people on heat wave preparedness plans. While heat wave and Karachi are known for each other nowadays, Peshawar too reached 43 degrees Celsius. This uniform increase in temperature across the country reveals that the whole country is affected by the phenomenon.
Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, but this does not disturb anyone’s peace of mind; the grim, hard signs of global warming and climate change confronting the country need a proper and dedicated fight.