Wait was the murderer, not water. The fading hope and rising fear on the faces of stranded tourists in Swat was heartbreaking. The victims’ family members and local residents stood helplessly on the riverbank, waiting first for rescuers and then for a miracle, as the raging torrent took its time. While the blame game continues, one thing is clear that the family from Daska, regardless of being adventurous, did not fall victim to just nature. They were failed by a system that had both the information and the time to act, but chose not to go the extra mile to ensure their safety.
Footage of the incident circulating in the media, along with witnesses’ accounts, is enough to prove the apathy of local authorities, who later tried to pass the buck, insisting they had issued a flood alert well in advance and Section 144 imposed. But what good are laws if not properly implemented, especially when lives are at stake? The victims, consisting mostly of women and children, remained stranded for more than an hour, waiting for the rescue teams that arrived late, and that too with insufficient equipment.
What makes this tragedy worse is that it is not the first. It is a grim deja vu. Each year tourists visiting the northern areas encounter similar situations, and not all of them were lucky. The pattern has repeated so often in recent years that it unfortunately has become normal. Still, authorities apparently believe that their responsibility ends with issuing alerts and imposing laws barring citizens from visiting even the riverbanks in case of flood warnings. They are wrong to carry such beliefs.
Although implementation of laws has usually emerged as the weakest link in most cases involving selfie-takers, adventurists, or adrenaline junkies, it is important to strengthen enforcement for the greater good
It is beyond comprehension why it took rescuers – who boast of a response time of seven minutes – so long to reach the scene, why they arrived without proper lifesaving apparatus, and why no air support was called in to save the stranded tourists. These questions cannot go unanswered or put off until the next tragedy. The inquiry launched by the provincial government into the incident is a welcome step. However, its prime focus should be on mapping risks and filling gaps – not just fixing responsibility – so that such incidents do not reoccur. Although implementation of laws has usually emerged as the weakest link in most cases involving selfie-takers, adventurists, or adrenaline junkies, it is important to strengthen enforcement for the greater good. All available tools must be utilized to stop people from being at the riverbanks, especially in monsoon.
In the Swat incident, it is hard to ignore the absence of a proper chain of command and interdepartmental coordination. That area needs immediate rectification. Proper reorganization and management of resources must be the top priority of rescue and disaster management authorities. Over a dozen people died because someone did not do their job properly. That demands disciplinary action, but that must not stop at mere suspensions.
