As usual, this year again, we are unable to manage our waters. These are the waters we need so badly so that we could drink it, generate power from it, and irrigate our thirsty soils with it all year long. We simply have no storage reservoirs for this unbridled gift of nature, and as we refuse to accept this gift, it turns into nature’s fury. Massive Floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have killed more than people in large swaths of northern India and central Punjab of Pakistan so far. The flooding has submerged villages and ruined crops with over 2,500 villages partially or completely submerged across the area, while thousands of people are stranded on rooftops waiting to be rescued.
Prime Ministers of both countries are in the flood affected areas monitoring the relief activities. Humanitarian groups are also active. Both countries have also called their soldiers to render help in the relief activities. In both countries, other states and provinces are also pitching in to provide assistance. In a good and surprisingly nice gesture, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has offered Pakistan help if they would agree to it in the wake of floods. The words of Modi are according to the media reports, “In this hour of distress, the government of India is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to those areas if the Pakistan government needs it.”
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already given so many nice gestures towards India despite of some bitter criticism at home including attending the inaugural ceremony of Modi and sending mango gift across the border. In fact, Nawaz Sharif is battling for the survival of his and his brother governments at home because of such gestures among with couple other reasons. So I don’t think that both countries can jointly and mutually help each other in these tough and testing times, but may be some day.