600,000 shifted to safer locations
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday lauded the timely response of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, commissioners, and deputy commissioners in safeguarding populations, noting that more than 600,000 people and 450,000 livestock have been shifted to safer locations.
Maryam Nawaz also commended the efforts of the district administration in Narowal for completing water drainage at Kartarpur Gurdwara within 24 hours, where flood levels had reached 12 feet.
Acknowledging the support of Pakistan Army in rescue operations, she praised the coordinated teamwork of all departments, describing their performance during the crisis as commendable. Maryam Nawaz on Saturday directed authorities to ensure timely evacuation from districts at risk of flooding, including Multan, Okara, Toba Tek Singh, Sahiwal, Rahim Yar Khan, and other vulnerable areas.
Chairing a meeting on the flood situation, she emphasised the need for a stronger focus on relief operations and assured that all available resources would be utilised to provide facilities to the affected people. She added that school buildings could also be used to shelter displaced families, and directed immediate restoration of communication systems after water recedes.
The Sindh Rain and Flood Emergency Monitoring Cell has been made fully operational at the Sindh Secretariat, the provincial government’s Spokesperson Mustafa Abdullah Baloch said on Saturday. According to the spokesperson, public complaints received at the cell will be forwarded to the relevant authorities, while monitoring is being carried out round-the-clock. He added that the irrigation, health, and PDMA departments, along with other institutions, are actively engaged in response efforts. Provincial ministers are also visiting different areas to review the situation.
Furthermore, the Livestock and Fisheries Department has set up 300 vaccination camps across Sindh. Rescue 1122 teams have been dispatched to Sukkur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Hyderabad, and Dadu, the spokesperson said.
