UNFROZEN LAKES: According to data released by the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), unfrozen glacial lakes in Pakistan have increased from 40 to 105 in less than two months. This could be deadly for downstream valleys in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Peak summer months bring intense heat to high-altitude areas, causing frozen lakes to melt. Melting water accumulates faster than the speed at which it can be drained. Lakes swell beyond their boundaries. Satellite monitoring is surely not enough to prevent disasters. Installing an early warning system in low-lying areas is essential. Engineering interventions, such as controlled siphoning and open channel cutting, will lower water volume in dangerously swollen lakes.

Zain Yasir
Rawalpindi

MOTORWAY IN DARKNESS: Driving on the M-2 Motorway from Lahore to Islamabad at night has become extremely difficult and hazardous due to two major safety issues: lack of highway lighting and high-beam glare. There is a complete absence of overhead lighting along the entire route, forcing motorists to drive in total darkness at high speeds. Oncoming traffic frequently uses blinding high-beam headlights. To prevent accidents, there should be overhead lighting installed along the motorway, and anti-glare barriers must be placed in the central median to protect drivers from oncoming headlight glare.

Ume Rubab
Chiniot

FOOTBALLERS OF BALOCHISTAN: Despite producing some of the country’s finest talent, football is a neglected sport in Balochistan. Many football players are unemployed and, therefore, unable to buy essential sports equipment and gear. The players mostly come from working-class families and must balance intense daily training with jobs like, say, driving rickshaws. They often receive no salaries, and have to practise on dirt pitches. The government must ensure reasonable income sources for young footballers, and establish well-maintained stadiums for the young.

Muzzamil Karim
Turbat

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2026