Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered all the provinces and institutions relevant on Tuesday to carry out a complete evaluation of the damage caused by recent rains and floods so that an effective rehabilitation plan can be prepared.
Chairing a meeting in Islamabad, he welcomed the “timely and effective actions” taken by provincial ministers in response to the challenges related to the weather, but underlined the need for coordinated efforts. He urged federal and interprotrovincial organizations to “collaborate closely to estimate the total extent of damage”.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that assessments must take into account human and financial losses as well as “the destruction of cultures and loss in livestock”. He advised managers to search for satellite data from Suparco and called for immediate measures to protect crops against post-invigations.
He added that targeted efforts were necessary to cultivate appropriate crops in areas affected by floods and have focused on restoration of infrastructure, with the priority of repairing damaged roads. He ordered all ministers and agencies to remain engaged in the communities affected throughout the recovery process.
During the meeting, the president of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other officials informed the PM of reconstruction and rehabilitation measures. It has also been informed that damage assessments for sugar cane, cotton and rice crops are underway and should be completed within 15 days as water levels retreat.
During monsoon rains and sudden floods since June 26 across the country, 998 people lost their lives. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recorded the highest victims with 504 deaths, followed by Punjab with 283, Sindh 71, GB 41 and Baloutchistan recorded 26 deaths.
The Punjab is at the top of the injured list with 660 cases, while KP reported 214, Sindh 87, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) 52, Azad Jammu and Cashmire 37 and Baloutchistan Five.
Calamity has also caused generalized damage to properties. In KP alone, 3,217 houses were damaged – 700 entirely and 2,517 partially. Damage has also been reported in other regions: 2,411 houses in AJK, 1,260 in GB, 1,009 in Balutchistan, 281 in the Sindh and 238 in Punjab.
