Benefits of Floods

The worst flood disaster after 1929 hit Pakistan in last weak of July, 2010. We have also observed that not only in Pakistan but floods have become rampant in some other parts of the world as well. This year in 2012, floods have devastated many areas of Pakistan as well as India. Heavy rains swept away cities, towns and villages. A large part of country is continuously suffering from heavy winds and continual rains. The climate of Pakistan involves seasonal winds called Asiatic Moon Soon bellowing right from July to September causing rains all over the country. The recent flood devastation is a direct out come of intense pressure of these winds blowing from north east to south west. It caused an uncompensable havoc and wreaked devastation in three major provinces of Pakistan. Approximately 600,000 people suffered from the flood and 1500 causalities have been recorded till now.

Flood is however, a natural event and it is not purposeless. There are some benefits of flood which cannot be overlooked although it causes great destruction to human inhabitation and agriculture sector. There are many positive things about flooding on scientific and geographical grounds. Recording an admissible fact by the geologists, rivers need occasional flood, to remain healthy and to increase their water level. Paul Dey, the manager of aquatic habitat programme for flood disasters says.

“We can often get wrapped up in the destruction and forget about the bigger picture in essence, floods can be a good thing too.”

The land under the influence of Chenab and Jehlum was lacking in nutritive elements. After flood out break these rivers will be able to re-enrich their lands with essential nutrients. The Indus River will refresh and reshape its river bed, and may pour rich sediments to the canals linked with it. It is obvious that flood water suspends river sediments, helpful for the growth of crops, to the top soil over a large area. Flood waters cover vast land and confer rich soil. That’s why, the land, where the river soil composites after floods, give more production. The land of far-reached areas, quite away from circumference of these rivers, depending only on tube well irrigation will take advantage of soil nutrients by these flood strokes. It will also help to settle inhabitation in those areas where the atmosphere is quite suitable for inhabitation but it lacks in water resources. Flood, in their flow shake up the soil to a sufficient depth, oxygenate it and empower its richness and strength. Occasionally, they create fish ponds where the hatchery abounds in to improve the flood cycle in that locality. Lands, severely struck by flood, bearing as there will be no cultivation for a particular time and later on these lands will produce more in next seasons.

Many areas of Pakistan are facing the water salinity and acidic oriented potable water. Reservoir of flood water will support to move salinity and acids to a sufficient depth inward the water beds. As the result of it, the agricultural land will become more fertile.

The potable water will be more pure and hygienic in these areas. The water beds in northern Sindh and southern Punjab, according to Indus Water Management Authority, are loosing their level. These water beds are slipping downward continuously. The recent floods will cooperate to increase the surface of water beds to the required revel. Complains about the dearth of water in Chenab rebate in flow of Jehlum and shortage of water volume in Sindh will be no more. Flood is fearful natural calamity with its positive and negative merits. Some like the forests which need grappling of fire for their richness, rivers need floods for their melioration.