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ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (APP):Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed to accelerate rescue operations in flood-affected districts of Punjab due to swelling waters in the River Sutlej.
The prime minister directed for further expediting evacuation operations for the people stranded in flood-hit areas.
The prime minister issued these directives while chairing a review meeting on the flood situation and relief operations in various parts of the country, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The prime minister further instructed ensuring provision of food, medicines and tents to the affected population.
He also directed the Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to remain in contact with the Punjab’s disaster management authority.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmad Leghari, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf and relevant senior government officials.
The meeting was briefed on the overall flood situation and ongoing relief efforts across the country.
Due to advance warning of flooding in the River Sutlej, local populations, near the course of river flow, were evacuated on time and as a result, no casualties had been reported so far in these flood-affected areas.
Rescue operations were actively underway in the districts affected by River Sutlej’s flooding and so far, 174,074 people had been relocated to the safe locations.
In District Narowal, evacuation of the local population from the flood-affected Lehri Bund area was being ensured. In flood-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, power restoration work was in progress.
While in Gilgit-Baltistan, restoration work was in progress on 2 kilometers of the National Highway that had submerged in flood.
The meeting was told that high-level flooding was reported at Ganda Singh Wala and Sulemanki on River Sutlej, Jassar on River Ravi and Marala on River Chenab. Severe flooding was also witnessed in Nullah Dek, it was added.
The meeting was further informed that over the next 12 to 24 hours, heavy rains were expected in Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Rawalpindi divisions, and districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir along with various areas in Gilgit-Baltistan.