Inadequate response: Earthquake in Balochistan

AFTER the devastating experience of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, and with the knowledge that Pakistan straddles several fault lines, it would have been reasonable to expect the state to lose no time in shoring up its defences against natural disaster. But the response to the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Balochistan on Tuesday has shown, once again, that like many other things in Pakistan, this was a vain hope. We have seen initiatives such as the establishment of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, the National Disaster Management Authority and its provincial subsidiaries, promises of developing early warning systems and articulating standard operating procedures at the lowest tiers of administration. But every time disaster strikes — in recent years different parts of the country have been devastated by earthquakes, floods and torrential rains — the emptiness of the promises becomes evident. Those affected are left clinging to their rooftops whilst the waters rage, or remain trapped in the rubble of their homes while the state goes into sluggish action. The remoteness of the area affected by Tuesday’s quake has further hampered the speed at which rescue could be provided, though the army had, by the evening, provided some succour. Even early estimates show that tens of thousands of people have been affected, and a very large number of mud-built houses have collapsed. The death toll, which has already crossed the 200 mark and is likely to rise as the rubble is cleared, is not as high as it could have been. Yet while this may not be a catastrophe for the nation at large, for the victims it certainly is. Everything possible must be done to help these people now and in the months to come as survivors embark on the task of piecing together their lives and livelihoods. This tragedy also constitutes a chance for the state to reach out to the people of Balochistan, disenchanted as they are by the country’s lack of concern for their grievances. Meanwhile, we must ask how many times this country needs to be warned before it seriously sets about improving its infrastructure and capabilities in case of natural disaster, particularly earthquakes. While Islamabad has started enforcing earthquake-related building codes, the thought of such an event striking the high-density, vertically built Karachi, for instance, is frightening. There’s no escape from nature’s wrath, but one can be better prepared to deal with it. The only thing Pakistan seems to be doing, though — at both the federal and provincial levels — is hoping that it will be spared.