Punjab Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz visited areas affected by floods in Nankana Sahib to evaluate the scope of the damage caused by recent strong rains and supervise the ongoing aid operations, Radio Pakistan reported Wednesday.
During the visit, she interacted with local residents and personally reviewed the emergency response of the government. The main minister assured the affected families that the provincial government would compensate them for the loss of crops and cattle due to floods.
In addition, he announced financial assistance for people whose mud houses were destroyed in the flood, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to support rehabilitation and recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, in the light of recent destructive floods, the Rawalpindi district administration has declared that 19 urban locations are highly susceptible to future sudden floods.
In a formal directive, the commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheem issued a circular that identifies these high -risk areas and appointed commissioners attending, Tehsildars and departmental chiefs as specific supervision officers of the area.
Vulnerable areas include New Katarian Lai Bridge, Bangash Colony, Zia-Ul-Haq Colony, Boring Road, Pirwadhai Bridge, Dhoke Naju, Dhoke Dalal, Dhoke Hassu Bridge, Hazara Col Col Col Col Col Col Col Col Col Col Col Nehlymandi, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh, Sadiqabad, Javeved Colony, Nehlymandi, Tahilemy, Tohliomy, Tahliomy, Tahliomen Mohri, Jan Colony, Tench Bhatta Last Stop, Banaras Colony and Sharon Colony (Sawan Camp).
These areas have experienced serious urban floods on three separated occasions during the past week, with water that increases from three to five feet inside the houses and streets, causing generalized damage and difficulties for residents.
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To strengthen the response to disasters on the ground, those of the relevant departments have been designated. In addition, officers of the health, education, police, income, rescue services and civil defense departments have been deployed in these floods prone to guaranteeing a coordinated action during emergencies.
The DC has ordered that all assigned officers must inform their locations designated at the beginning of the rain. Not responding or any abandonment of duty will result in strict disciplinary action.
Despite these measures, the residents of Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony and Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh, including Haji Naveed Khan, Chaudhry Imran, Chaudhry Shaukat and Sartaj Khan, have expressed a deep frustration.
They claim that their communities have suffered more than five decades of recurrent flood crises, but during the most recent flood, official presence or support was not evident, even when the waters of the floods flooded their neighborhoods.
Residents asked the administration to go beyond symbolic supervision and deploy fully equipped rescue equipment. They emphasized the urgent need for an integral cleaning of the drainage system and active flood relief. The locals say they do not need “officials in costumes and boots that observe from the beard”, but real rescue teams on the field.
