Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday a special package for communities affected by flooding. The package specifically includes the exemption of national consumers electricity invoices for the month of August.
In a brief televised speech to La Nación, said the prime minister, the federal government would have the cost of payments in the name of households.
“We completely understand the difficulties of the victims of floods. This payment is not a favor but their right,” he said, adding that those who had already paid their August bills would have the amount adjusted in the invoices next month.
Shehbaz said that clear instructions have been issued to energy distribution companies to guarantee immediate implementation. He added that the evaluations were underway to calculate the losses and liabilities of the agricultural, commercial and industrial sectors in the affected areas.
“The recovery of their invoices has been suspended for now. If the estimates of these sectors turn out to be higher, the government will take additional measures to provide relief,” he said.
The prime minister described the devastation caused by floods as “heartbreaking”, noting that many people were left without refuge. “This is a humble government effort to share the suffering of the victims. Let’s ensure the complete rehabilitation of all areas affected by floods,” he said.
He averaged that the government will not rest until each displaced person is resettled. “May Allah help us in this effort,” he said.
Read more: The IMF wink sought power relief for flood victims
In an effort to mitigate the suffering of people beaten by the worst floods in decades, the government was considering providing relief in electricity bills to consumers. However, the approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was required for this purpose.
Floods in three rivers have so far made millions of homeless people and damaged damage at 1.3 million acres of land. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asked the Ministry of Finance to communicate with the IMF and ensure its consent to grant relief in electricity bills in areas affected by floods, according to government sources.
After the instructions of the Prime Minister, the Ministry held a virtual meeting with the IMF on Friday and sought its support for the exemption, they added.
The Pakistani authorities asked the IMF to postpone the bills for three months, citing a precedent established in 2022 when similar relief had been offered in the regions affected by floods.
The sources said that consumers in the areas covered by the Lahore electricity supply company, the Gujranwala electricity company, Faisalabad Electricity Supply Company and Fine Electric Power Power Company have been negatively affected by the flood. The consumers of the Sukkur electricity company will probably be affected.
“The immediate concern is to address the issue of electricity invoices for the month of August, which is now due,” said Federal Minister of Energy Awais Laghari The express trustee. He said the energy division was collecting data from the affected areas, after which he would be able to evaluate the fiscal requirements for relief.
The prime minister is “very inclined” to alleviate the burden of energy consumers in areas affected by floods and a formal announcement is expected soon, Laghari added.
Also read: More than 100 dead as Punjab Reels for devastating floods
At least 101 people have died in Punjab due to generalized floods, authorities said, since more than 4,700 villages and around 4.57 million residents have been affected throughout the province.
Help Commissioner Nabeel Javed of the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that around 2.51 million people had been relocated in safer areas.
The South Punjab government has deployed air transport drones to deliver food and medicines to flood victims in inaccessible areas. The authorities described the effort as the first emergency emergency drones service in Pakistan, capable of taking up to 200 kilograms of help and evacuating people from dangerous places. Ten more drones will be acquired to expand operations.
The Punjab Saaf Pani authority has so far provided 1.57 million liters of clean drinking water to more than 525,000 people throughout the province. Yesterday alone, 192,700 liters were supplied.
Until now, 392 aid camps, 493 medical camps and 422 veterinary camps have been established in the most affected districts. Police said that more than 16,000 people, with the support of 770 vehicles and 40 ships, have rescued more than 681,000 people and transferred 2,019 million cattle to a safe place.
The Punjab Police Inspector, Dr. Usman Anwar, said the thermal images and Safe City drones cameras were being used in operations. Rescue 1122 teams, supported by welfare organizations and philanthropists, continued to relocate the victims and distribute food, water and other essential elements.
The Pakistan army is also helping with evacuations. However, residents reported severe difficulties in the move of belongings and cattle. The body of a man identified as Akhtar, who drowned while trying to move animals to a safe place, recovered in Uch Sharif.
