The Indus River originates from the Tibetan Plateau in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar. This long river covers the distance of approximately 3,180 km before merging into the Arabian Sea in the south of Pakistan. Before falling into the sea, it forms a delta in the east of Thatta. This delta provides a land for the mangroves to flourish vastly: they are important ecologically and home to marine life. Being fed with glaciers and rivers in the Himalayas, the Indus comes 21st among the world’s rivers if we talk about the annual flow of water.

The Indus is one of the few rivers in the world that expresses tidal behaviour. Its flow is determined by the seasons. In winter, the flow is minimized due to less or no rains and ceased melting of ice or snow. In summer, the water level rises significantly. Especially in the monsoon season, which lasts from July to September in Pakistan, the continuous rains and melting snow cause the water level to raise to an alarming mark.

This river is rich in biodiversity. It provides shelter to many hundreds of species among which some are to be found only here. For example, the Blind Dolphin, which is now considered an endangered species and close to extinction, can only be found in the waters of Indus. Only few hundreds of this precious mammal are left: they have gathered the attention of organizations for the conservation of endangered species.

The Indus is a backbone in the food production and agriculture of Pakistan. Strategically it is actually a vital source for the whole economy of the country. It supports the ecosystem of forests and the agriculture of rich plains. Punjab, which means "the land of five rivers“, is an important province of Pakistan, responsible for the country’s major agricultural production. It is dependent on the Indus and its tributaries for irrigation purposes.

The main tributaries of the long river, namely Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej, join together to form "Panjanad" (five rivers) and then merge into the Indus at Mithankot. All the area along the Indus is very fertile and rich in alluvial soil, deposited at the banks of the river in large amounts every year. This agricultural land is divided into two plains: the Upper Indus Plain (Punjab Province) and the Lower Indus Plain (Sindh Province). These plains yield a lot of agricultural production due to a variety of crops planted each year in different seasons. Irrigation canals have been dug out from the river and its tributaries to irrigate the two plains. This canal system is the largest irrigation system in the world. Many dams are built on the Indus and its tributaries to generate electricity and store extra water.

The Indus has witnessed diversity in ethnicity, religion and culture for hundred of years. During its journey from north to south, it enjoys the culture of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Punjabi, Sindhi, Kohistani and many more multilingual civilizations flourished along the sides of the river.

On the other hand, the country has to bear a loss of millions of dollars per annum due to this river. One of Asia’s longest rivers, while vastly supporting the country’s economy, is swallowing hundreds of people each year during the monsoon season, when the water level rises due to heavy rains. The Tibetan plateau is the world’s third largest reservoir of ice. Due to the Earth’s increasing temperature, this ice melts and adds to the water of the river in the summer. These factors account for the water level crossing the banks of the rivers. As a result, a huge area is flooded with water, making millions of people homeless.

It is worth mentioning the natural disaster of 2010, when two months of continuous record-breaking rains flooded almost half of Pakistan. Heavy rains started in mid-July and continued till September. The consequences were devastating. Almost two thousand people died and millions became homeless. Over all approximately twenty million people were affected by the disaster. About two million acres of land, which were ready for the planting of new seeds after the cutting of ready crops, went wasted. Not to mention the efforts made to relieve and rehabilitate the victims. The flood of 2011 was not a different story either: the water swallowed about a thousand people and wasted three million acres of land used for agricultural purposes. In 2012, again hundreds of people died and thousands found themselves homeless. In August 2013, people experienced the same disaster but luckily with reduced destruction. The government had to bear a loss of about three billion dollars as a result of the flood in September 2014.

The flood coming every year has long lasting effects. Huge amounts of food and grains are washed away. Huge amounts of livestock are damaged to a great extent. Farmers are unable to plant new crops and cultivate the previous ones. The main crops of the season - sugarcane, rice and cotton - all go wasted. This all results in inflation and hinders the GDP growth rate per annum. Almost 80% of the affected people have no access to proper food. The supply of clean drinking water is always inadequate: this, coupled with the lack of proper treatment, boosts up the diseases and deaths in the affected regions. Significant damage to livestock results in a reduced supply of dairy products. Poverty is aggravated to a large extent. Buildings, highways and railway lines are damaged. The government has so far failed to take necessary steps to store the excessive river water properly.

How long before adequate measures are taken to prevent further disasters?