Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Imran Qureshi has said that flood relief activities were going on by the PDMA in the districts adjacent to the Sutlej River.
In a press statement, he said the PDMA was closely monitoring the situation from the control room, while the district emergency operation centers and rural reporting centers across the province were on high alert as the government was utilizing all available resources to ensure the safety of human lives.
The DG mentioned that PDMA supplied tents, food hampers, flood equipment, and machinery to all districts in preparation for the monsoon season. Rescue and relief operations were currently underway in the districts connected to the Sutlej River, he added. In Kasur district alone, 10 relief camps had been established, with 110 rescuers and 8 ambulances deployed. PDMA provided 27 boats, 200 life jackets, 27 life rings, 16 wireless sets, and other necessary equipment to aid the rescue teams. As a result of these efforts, 1,218 people had been rescued, and 4,972 individuals had been safely relocated in the Kasur district where 27 animals had also been rescued.
Turning to the arrangements in Okara district, Imran Qureshi reported the establishment of six rescue and relief camps, with deployment of 54 rescuers and two ambulances.
The PDMA provided 12 boats, 52 life rings, and 164 life jackets to assist the rescue teams in Okara. So far, 220 people and 18 animals had been transported to safe areas from the flooded regions, he said. PDMA ensured that required equipment and tools for flood situations were readily available in the respective district warehouses. Additionally, the department developed plans for emergency transportation of further supplies to the affected districts if necessary, he added.
Later, the DG visited the flood-affected areas of Kasur to assess the arrangements personally.
On the occasion, he shared the latest updates on the flood situation at the Sutlej Talwar post.
He mentioned that the floodwater in the Sutlej River receded by 1 foot compared to the previous night, and the flow had reduced from 114,000 cusecs to 104,000 cusecs at Ganda Singhwala. He highlighted that a flood relief and rescue operation was initiated on July 9, following the instructions of the Punjab government, and it was still ongoing. The floods had impacted a total of 15 villages along the Sutlej River in Kasur, affecting a population of 18,000. 11,000 people had been safely relocated and ten relief camps, with a capacity of 3,000 to 5,000 people, had been established in Kasur. Adequate provisions, including clean water and cooked food, had been provided to the residents of these camps. Fortunately, there were no reported deaths in Kasur due to the floods, he said.
PDMA DG emphasized that over 1,100 officials, including Pak Rangers, police, Rescue 1122, livestock, and health departments, were deployed to assist and relocate flood victims. All the line departments were actively engaged in the field.
