Monsoon may cause serious health threats

Islamabad : Expected heavy rainfall in this region of the country may pose serious health threats to the residents during monsoon particularly in a situation when there has already been a rise in the number of cases of different seasonal infections among the population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Health experts say that heavy rainfall may contaminate water reservoirs and rapidly cause spread of communicable diseases leading to increased flood related morbidity and mortality affecting the communities living in congested urban areas. The population in the region is at greater risk of facing monsoon related health threats including diseases like typhoid, cholera, acute jaundice due to hepatitis A, hepatitis E, amoebic dysentery, acute respiratory tract infections, injuries leading to tetanus due to contaminated wounds.

There are chances of a greater number of cases of snake bites in the peri-urban areas of the twin cities while scabies, skin infections, rabies due to dog bites, malaria and most importantly dengue fever may haunt the population in the monsoon.

Experts say that the standing-water after heavy rainfall can create pockets for breeding of vectors including mosquitoes enhancing potential for disease transmission. It is important that malaria and dengue mosquitoes are endemic in the area, the risk of transmission of these diseases would be much higher in the coming days.

The rains and rising humidity during the monsoon may pose serious health threats as the temperature and humidity provide the most favorable and conducive environment to mosquitoes for growth and reproduction.

Urban flooding is another threat in the region though due to the natural terrain and topography, the rain/flood water is disposed of through nullahs and natural slopes from most of the areas in the federal capital but still, few villages, ‘kachi abadis’ and congested areas in the adjoining city of Rawalpindi would be at higher risk of floods in case of heavy rainfall.

Also in case of extensive and continuous rains in the catchment areas of Simly and Rawal dams, the excess water which overflows from the spillways of the dams cause flooding in the rivers Soan and Korang. The high flood in these rivers may affect the low lying areas and disrupt services like water supply, sewerage, power supply, communication and agriculture system.

Experts say that it is time for all the stakeholders including the concerned government authorities and individuals to take precautionary measures well in time to mitigate the effects of heavy rainfall and flooding in the region.