ISLAMABAD, May 26
Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab, Irfan Ali Kathiya, has raised alarm over the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters in Pakistan, attributing them to rapidly shifting climate patterns.
In a recent interview with a private news channel, Kathiya stated that while rain and storm warnings had been issued for Punjab, the intensity of the recent weather events took authorities by surprise. He revealed that the extreme weather resulted in the tragic loss of 18 lives and left over 110 people injured. Alarmingly, 80% of the damage was linked to the collapse of improperly installed solar panels.
He strongly urged the public to ensure the secure and professional installation of solar panels to prevent such accidents in the future.
Kathiya also highlighted the alarming rise in regional temperatures. While global temperature increases average between 1 to 2 degrees Celsius, Pakistan is witnessing abrupt spikes of 4 to 5 degrees, triggering life-threatening heatwaves.
Calling for urgent climate action, he stressed the need for extensive tree plantation drives and stricter control over unplanned urban expansion to mitigate rising temperatures and reduce vulnerability to extreme weather conditions.
