LAHORE: More than two million people have affected by horrible flood submerged Punjab after Indian Water Terrorism in which province is battling with unprecedented floods.
Punjab’s Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb has said the current flood situation in the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers is unprecedented, adding that all government departments are engaged in saving lives. According to her, 2 million people have been impacted so far, with 750,000 evacuated to safer locations, including 300,000 currently in relief camps.
Aurangzeb said 115,000 people were rescued using boats, while more than 500,000 livestock were also shifted to safe areas. For the first time, drones and thermal surveillance have been used in rescue operations.
She stressed that due to timely decisions by the chief minister, including anti-encroachment measures, Punjab has been saved from greater human losses. “Not a single life has been lost due to negligence,” she said, adding that the provincial government will assess damages and ensure compensation for affected families.
Aurangzeb further said medical camps and mobile clinics are operational in the field, and a dedicated flood media room has been set up to provide real-time information.
Highlighting climate change as a stark reality, she said Rs 40 billion have been allocated for water storage projects to better manage such disasters in the future. She added that more than 300,000 people have been rescued, and in Lahore, rainfall has exceeded 100 millimeters. Despite rising water levels in the Ravi River, she said not a single life has been lost.
“This is an extraordinary situation, an unprecedented flood,” she said. “It is a national calamity, and we must face it together.”
Meanwhile, Director General of Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Irfan Ali Kathia said, Punjab is currently experiencing one of the worst floods in its history.
At Head Balloki, the River Ravi is reaching peak levels, and the risk could increase further in the next 24 hours. So far, 33 deaths have been recorded due to the floods in Punjab.
During a briefing on the flood situation, DG Kathia said that the main flood stream of the Ravi is passing through Head Balloki, which may submerge more villages in Khanewal, Okara, and surrounding areas. Water flow is also increasing in villages across Okara, Sahiwal, Kamalia, Khanewal, and Kabirwala. By tomorrow, 135,000 cusecs of water is expected to reach Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, and Vehari.
He added that the flow of the Sutlej River has decreased, with 154,000 cusecs of water present at Head Sulemanki and 100,000 cusecs in the Bahawalpur region. At present, a stream of 260,000 cusecs is passing through Kasur.
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