Islamabad: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has cautioned against attributing flood destruction to “divine will,” stressing instead that unregulated human activity is the real cause behind the worsening crises.
Addressing the National Assembly on Monday, Asif said that rainfall is a blessing from God, but poor planning has turned it into a recurring disaster. He noted that housing societies, commercial plazas, and even hotels have been constructed along riverbeds and storm drains, blocking natural waterways and amplifying the damage caused by floods.
The minister further argued that Pakistan does not have the luxury of waiting decades for mega-dams, which require 10 to 15 years to complete. As an alternative, he urged the government to adopt a comprehensive national plan focused on building small dams at the local level, particularly in villages, to better manage water resources and reduce the scale of destruction.
