Achi news desk-
Chaman remains the closest town to the Durand Line, with a population of 466,218 people in the 2023 census conducted by the Government of Pakistan. This historic passage has been a vital link with Afghanistan and, subsequently, the nations of Central Asia for centuries. The relations between the tribes living on either side of the Durand Line transformed Chaman into a bustling repository of legends emanating from Afghanistan and what was once part of British India, now Pakistan. communicated by travelers crossing the Bolan Pass to Kandahar and vice versa.
Despite its dry climate, characterized by desert and mountainous terrain, the weather remains capricious. Locals often designate Thursday and Friday as “heavy holy days,” influenced by religious teachings given by clergy or passed down through generations.
Climatic shifts have exacerbated prolonged droughts, when rain can smother the region for years, and fierce winds carry sandy dust from Kandahar to Chaman. Elderly residents reminisce about the green slopes beyond Kozhak (pronounced Khojak in English) or Manza, which once abounded in lush greenery ideal for grazing and supporting livestock, providing natural sustenance to the population. However, the passage of time has changed this. Alternative ways of life have emerged, leading to cutting down trees for fuel to combat harsh winters or for construction purposes. Nevertheless, traces of this old greenery remain near Shela Bagh, famous for its long railway tunnel, where some tribes have protected aging trees, considering them a symbol of life.
A patchwork of beliefs about climate change persists among the community. Three decades of relentless drought have reshaped perceptions about water flow, with the younger generation, aged between 30 and 40, never having experienced a deluge of heavy rain. Initial reports indicate extensive damage caused by the recent showers, claiming 10 lives and injuring 15 individuals in Chaman alone. While the Balochistan Provincial Disaster Management Authority has confirmed 15 deaths, 10 injuries, and damage to 240 houses, local accounts suggest that the number of rain-caused disasters is higher than official estimates. Remote areas, cut off from communication networks, often go unreported in the media, reflecting a pervasive skepticism about the government’s effectiveness in addressing the plight of affected communities.
The late arrival of the rains this year, following a dry winter, had caught many off guard. Yet, the implications of climate change, changing weather patterns around the world, resonate particularly harshly among communities who are unaware of its implications.
Chaman’s urban sprawl is expanding with each passing decade. Previously dependent on cross-border trade along the Durand Line, residents found enough support for their families, resulting in an abundance of homes in the middle of the valleys, similar to towns cascading down the slopes of the Himalayan mountains, extension of Kozhak (Khojak).
The heavy rain was fatal for Muhammad Naeem, 35, a person with special needs who was navigating with the help of support sticks. His only son suffered the flood. “I have three daughters, one son, and my son died in the rainwater,” laments Naeem. “He was six years old, and the rushing waters claimed him, drowning him in a small depression full of rain. We rushed him to the nearest medical facility, only to be informed of his demise.”
Naeem lived by chance, a system where locals carry loads from Spin-Boldak to Chaman, setting off at dawn and completing their journey before sunrise. Thousands were earning 1,000 PKR a day through this labour, including Naeem. However, he laments the six-month dry spell which has left him worried about his future. Chaman livelihoods depend primarily on cross-border trade, interpersonal exchange, and the transportation of international cargo to the nations of Central Asia.
There has been a lack of government oversight from Balochistan and local authorities. Many residents have built homes that block natural water courses, often flooded during rainy seasons. Furthermore, there is a lack of awareness of the implications of climate change, particularly the dangers caused by flash floods. An old Pashto saying warns that water will find its way through buildings, even if delayed for a century. Despite this wisdom, Naeem’s family, like many others, disregarded the folklore, living in a house built alongside a water channel, a decision confirmed by his brother.
Muhammad Naeem’s elder brother Abdul Kabeer, aged 50, recounts their ordeal: “We live alongside the water channel (manda in Pashto). When Naeem’s son fell into a slight depression, we restored him after 10 minutes, but he had already given up on the spot.
The population remains ignorant of water dynamics, as long periods without such heavy rainfall have left them ready for nature’s attack, as a result of climate change. As a result, lives and property are lost in these catastrophic events.
Another family, on the way from Quetta to Chaman for their son’s engagement, faced tragedy. Asadullah, a resident of Chaman, tells their harrowing story: “Four died when our car was swept away by the floodwaters. The driver, who miraculously survived, said he was swallowed by the raging current in in the middle of the waterway. We heard the children cry and rushed to see the tragedy unfold.”
“As we fought to save those trapped inside, four lives were lost, while one child remains missing. Over 30 minutes passed before the car resurfaced,” adds Asadullah.
Although local leaders are aware of climate impacts and advocate for proactive measures, widespread illiteracy hinders community preparedness. Ignorant of the nuances of weather patterns, agriculture, and climate change, the population remains unmoved, facing constant droughts, earthquakes, floods, storms, and erratic temperature fluctuations.
Mir Ahmed Khan, a prominent social and political activist, reflects on the unheeded warnings of the past: “Our late political leader and agriculture expert, Abdul Hameed Khan, warned our tribes in Toba Achakzai against over-exploitation of fossil water and excessive irrigation for apple orchards, anticipating a future short of underground water resources.”
Unfortunately, the locals ridiculed his foresight, dismissing it as madness. And yet, when the drought struck in 1994, causing the demise of once-prosperous apple orchards, sold in millions of Pakistani rupees, his words echoed with bitter truth, laments Mir Ahmed Khan.
Concerns abound for the future, with no concrete governmental initiatives at the federal or provincial levels to educate, assist, support or rehabilitate affected communities. Unless proactive measures are taken, these disasters will continue to wreak havoc with each passing weather anomaly.
