| Location of Sindh, | |
| Duration: | August 2011–present |
| Fatalities: | At least 434 dead, 8.9 million affected |
| Damages: | 8.9 million affected, 2.7 million children affected, 6.79 million acres land damaged, 1.52 million homes damaged[1] |
| Areas affected: | Sindh, southern Balochistan, eastern Punjab and Azad Kashmir |
The 2011 Sindh floods (Urdu: 2011, سندھ میں سیلاب) began during the Pakistani monsoon season in mid-August 2011, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in Sindh, eastern Balochistan, and southern Punjab.[2] The floods have caused considerable damage; an estimated 434 civilians have been killed, with 5.3 million people and 1,524,773 homes affected.[3] Sindh is a fertile region and often called the "breadbasket" of the country; the damage and toll of the floods on the local agrarian economy is said to be extensive. At least 1.7 million acres of arable land have been inundated as a result of the flooding.[3] The flooding follows the previous year's historic 2010 Pakistan floods, which devastated the entire country.[3] Unprecedented torrential monsoon rains caused severe flooding in 16 districts of Sindh province.[4]
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In the month of July Pakistan received below normal monsoon rains; however in August and September the country received above normal monsoon rains. A strong weather pattern entered the areas of Sindh from the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat in August and gained strength with the passage of time and caused heavy downpours. The four weeks of continuous rain have created an unprecedented flood situation in Sindh.[4][5][6]
The District Badin in Sindh province received record breaking rainfall of 615.3 millimeters (24.22 in) during the monsoon spell breaking earlier recorded 121 millimeters (4.8 in) in Badin in 1936. The area of Mithi also received record rainfall of 1,290 millimeters (51 in) during the spell, where maximum rainfall was recorded 114 millimeters (4.5 in) in Mithi in 2004. The heavy cloudburst during last 48–72 hours displaced many people besides destroying crops in the area. The Met Office had informed all district coordination officers, Provincial Disaster Management Authority, chief secretaries and chief ministers about the heavy monsoon rain-spell two days earlier to take precautionary measures.
Qamar uz Zaman Chaudhry, Director General Pakistan Meteorological Department said: "the rains in Sindh are the highest ever recorded monsoon rains during the four weeks period of August and September, 2011. Before the start of these rains in the second week of August, Sindh was under severe drought conditions and it had not received any rainfall for the last 12 months. The last severe rainfall flooding in Sindh occurred in July 2003," he said and added, "but this time the devastating rains of Mithi, Mirpurkhas, Diplo, Parker, Nawabshah, Badin, Chhor, Padidan, and Hyderabad etc during the four weeks period have created unprecedented flood situation in Sindh." According to Dr. Qamar, the total volume of water fallen over Sindh during the four weeks is estimated to be above 37 million acre feet, “which is unimaginable.[4] The August monsoon rainfall, over province of Sindh (271% above normal) is the heaviest recorded during the period 1961–2011.[7]
The following are the heavy rainfalls recorded in Sindh province in the months of August and September 2011 based on data from the Pakistan Meteorological Department.[8] The first monsoon spell hit the southern parts of Sindh on 10 August. It produced record breaking widespread torrential rainfalls and resulted in floods in district Badin. The second spell hit the areas on 30 August and lasted until 2 September.
In the month of September four more consecutive spells of monsoon rainfall devastated the southern parts of the province. The first spell of September hit the already inundated parts of the province on 2 September. Thereafter, the second spell hit on 5 September, the third on 9 September, and the fourth on 12 September 2011.[9] The four spells of monsoon produced even more devastating torrential rains in the already affected areas of Sindh.[4]
| City | August Rainfall (mm) | Rainfall (in) | September Rainfall (mm) | Rainfall (in) | Total Rainfall (mm) | Total Rainfall (in) | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mithi | 530* | 21.0 | 760* | 30.0 | 1290* | 51.0 | [A] | [4][10][11] |
| Mirpur Khas | 263.1* | 10.3 | 603* | 23.7 | 866.1* | 34.1 | [A] | [4][10][11] |
| Nawabshah | 275.2* | 10.8 | 353.2* | 13.9 | 628.4* | 24.7 | [A] | [4][10][11] |
| Badin | 331.2* | 13.0 | 284.1 | 11.1 | 615.3* | 24.2 | [A] | [4][10][11] |
| Chhor | 276 | 10.9 | 268 | 10.6 | 544* | 21.4 | [A] | [4][10][11] |
| Dadu | 134.1 | 5.2 | 348.1 | 13.7 | 482.2* | 18.9 | [A] | [4][10][11] |
| Padidan | 251.2 | 9.8 | 172 | 6.8 | 423.2* | 16.6 | [A] | [4][10][11] |
| Hyderabad | 162.2 | 6.3 | 244.2 | 9.6 | 406.4 | 16.0 | [4][10][11] | |
| Karachi | 61.2 | 2.4 | 212.2 | 8.3 | 273.3 | 10.7 | [4][10][11] |
* Indicates new record.
Following are the heaviest rainfalls recorded in the monsoon spell in Sindh province in the months of August and September 2011 based on data from the Pakistan Meteorological Department.[8]
| City | Rainfall (mm) | Rainfall (in) | Monsoon Spell | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mithi | 760 | 30.0 | 1 to 14 September* | [10][11] |
| Mirpur Khas | 603 | 23.7 | 1 to 14 September | [10][11] |
| Padidan | 356 | 14.0 | 30 August to 4 September* | [10][11] |
| Nawabshah | 353.2 | 13.9 | 1 to 14 September | [10][11] |
| Dadu | 348.1 | 13.7 | 1 to 14 September | [10][11] |
| Badin | 302.1 | 11.8 | 10 to 14 August* | [10][11] |
| Chhor | 268 | 10.6 | 1 to 14 September | [10][11] |
| Hyderabad | 244.2 | 9.6 | 1 to 14 September | [10][11] |
| Karachi | 212.2 | 8.3 | 1 to 14 September | [10][11] |
Millions of people have been affected because of heavy rains that started in August, coinciding with monsoon season. Rural villages have become particularly affected. The area of Sanghar is declared as the most dangerous region. In the aftermath of the monsoon rains, Oxfam warned that aid should be provided to Pakistanis or they will die. 8,920,631 people have been affected because of floods. 433 people are said to have been killed.[12]
Some Pakistanis affected by the flood are protesting the government's response as slow and inadequate. Aid organizations have reported that some ruling party politicians and officials are distributing aid only to their party supporters and people from their villages.[13]
Gastroenteritis and malaria have killed many of infected people.
A special wing of the ministry of the Government of Sindh has been created to deal with the flooding. The Chief Minister of Sindh Qaim Ali Shah has visited the affected areas, announcing a million rupees in relief for each of flood victims. Various politicians are also engaged in setting up relief camps for the victims. A helpline 0800-11-121 has been set up for the victims.
The Pakistani Army and Navy are actively engaged in flood relief and helping victims. According to aid organization Save the Children, the flooding is more disastrous than that during the 2004 tsunami.[13]