Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed all relevant provinces and institutions on Tuesday to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the damage caused by recent rains and floods so that an effective rehabilitation plan can be prepared.
By chairing a meeting in Islamabad, he praised the “appropriate and effective actions” taken by the provincial main ministers in response to climate -related challenges, but emphasized the need for coordinated efforts. He urged federal and interprovincial bodies to “collaborate closely to estimate the total extension of the damage.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that evaluations must account for human and financial losses, as well as’ the destruction of crops and losses in livestock. ”He advised officials to seek satellite data from Supparco and requested immediate measures to protect crops against diseases after flooding.
He added that specific efforts were needed to cultivate adequate crops in flood affected areas and emphasized the restoration of infrastructure, with priority to the repair of damaged roads. He directed all the ministers and agencies that remain committed to the affected communities throughout the recovery process.
During the meeting, the President of the National Authority for Disaster Management (NDMA) and other officials informed the Prime Minister about reconstruction and rehabilitation measures. He was also informed that damage assessments for sugar, cotton and rice crops are underway and are expected to be completed within 15 days as water levels backward.
During the rains of the monsoon and sudden floods since June 26 throughout the country, 998 people have lost their lives. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recorded the highest victims with 504 deaths, followed by Punjab with 283, Sindh 71, GB 41 and Baluchistan recorded 26 deaths.
Punjab led the list of injured with 660 cases, while KP reported 214, Sindh 87, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) 52, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 37, and Baluchistan five.
The calamity also caused generalized damage to the properties. In KP alone, 3,217 houses were damaged: 700 completely and 2,517 partially. Damage in other regions has also been reported: 2,411 houses in AJK, 1,260 in GB, 1,009 in Baluchistan, 281 in Sindh and 238 in Punjab.
