INDIA'S CONCERNS AND CHALLENGES IN ADDRESSING PAKISTAN FLOODS

1. About

The monsoon flooding in Pakistan has been referred to as a “monsoon on steroids” and described as a “monster monsoon”.
These names reflect the wide devastation it has caused.
This flooding has been fuelled by the hottest weather recorded during March and April.
This heat accelerated glacier melting in Pakistan’s north, followed by unprecedented rainfall patterns in many parts of the country during July and August.

2. Fall of ties in India and Pakistan

3. Countries aiding each other in the past

In the past, when natural disasters struck India and Pakistan, the two countries at times reached out to each other with offers of help.
For example, in January-February 2001, after the earthquake hit Bhuj in Gujarat, Pakistan reached out with help and sent tents and blankets for the survivors.
In 2005, when a powerful earthquake struck both India and Pakistan, India sent aircraft with relief supplies to Pakistan and pledged $ 25 million through the United Nations to support Pakistan’s relief efforts.

4. Aid in the ongoing floods in Pakistan

Though there has not been much follow-up activity, the Indian Prime Minister’s outreach by way of a message created a potential opening for “disaster diplomacy”.
Pakistan’s Finance Minister mentioned the government can consider importing vegetables and other edible items from India following the destruction of standing crops due to the floods.
For the Indian government, the case for extending humanitarian help ties in well with its desire to project itself as the “first responder” in times of disaster and crisis in the neighbourhood.
The help from India can be at the micro and short-term level: food, fuel, tents, medicines, and emergency essential supplies.
At the macro and medium-to-long-term, it could involve help in the reconstruction of damaged homes and properties, and the archaeological site of Mohenjo Daro, part of the cultural heritage of both countries.
India’s expertise in healthcare can be of help in the post-floods scenario — dengue is already on the rise, and diseases such as typhoid are expected to spike sharply.

5. The shortcomings in India-Pak relation

6. Conclusion

However, some in the Indian establishment believe that the government’s stated policy of “talks and terror can’t go together”, and the extending of help to Pakistan are at odds with each other.
For New Delhi, the decision is as much about projecting power as a global responder as managing the ruling party’s domestic political base.

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