DNA
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the National Disaster Management Authority to take immediate measures to address potential urban flooding in Lahore, Sialkot and Gujrat, besides continuing its early warning and relief efforts.
The prime minister, chairing an emergency meeting to discuss the situation caused by heavy rains and potential flood in Punjab, particularly in Chenab, Sutlej, and Ravi rivers, directed to enhance the effectiveness of flood and rainfall warnings, emphasizing the importance of timely information sharing between NDMA and PDMA Punjab to minimize losses.
NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik briefed the prime minister on the flood situation in rivers, preemptive evacuations, safe relocations, and the delivery of relief supplies in affected areas.
Referring to the provision of tents by the NDMA for affected areas in Punjab, he said the supply of other essential items will continue.
He instructed Minister for Communications, Minister for Energy, Secretary Energy, and NHA Chairman to reach Lahore to fully cooperate with the provincial government to ensure uninterrupted power supply, communication channels, and road restoration in the affected areas.
He said that the issues arising from flood situations in any province will be resolved through coordination and referred the federal government’s full support to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during recent floods, assuring the same to Punjab.
Prime Minister Shehbaz directed to ensure early flood warnings for Sindh, asking the public representatives and government institutions to ensure timely evacuation, safe relocation, and effective monitoring of relief operations.
He also asked the authorities concerned to take measures to safeguard human lives, property, crops, and livestock from potential flood damage and that the issues at the district and tehsil levels in those areas should be resolved urgently in collaboration with local and provincial administrations.
During the briefing, it was told that there was a risk of high-level flooding at Head Marala and Khanki due to increased water discharge in the Chenab River.
Besides, the pressure of high water discharge was reported in the Ravi River at Jastar and Shahdara, and in the Sutlej River at Ganda Singh Wala and Sulemanki. and that the pressure was also being monitored at Khanki, Balloki, and Qadirabad.
The NDMA chairman informed the meeting that Rescue 1122, civil defence, Rangers, PDMA, and other relevant agencies were working with full diligence. The army personnel and police services have been engaged for preemptive evacuations to mitigate damage in some flood-affected areas of Punjab.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Awais Ahmad Leghari, Dr. Musadik Malik, Attaullah Tarar, and Ahad Khan Cheema, NDMA chairman, and relevant government officials.
