New committee created to guide flood recovery and assess government response to disaster
Punjab has established a parliamentary committee to investigate recent flood damage and oversee rehabilitation efforts in affected areas.
The committee will be headed by Syed Ali Haider Gillani of the Pakistan People’s Party and will include 24 members of the provincial assembly. The Punjab Assembly Secretariat has issued a notification confirming its formation.
The commission is responsible for preparing its report within 30 days. Its responsibilities include assessing the impact of flooding on agriculture, livestock and infrastructure, as well as estimating losses suffered by affected communities.
It will also examine the causes of the loss of human life during this disaster.
It will also make recommendations for the rehabilitation of flood victims and review the performance and administrative response of government departments during the disaster.
Read: Punjab’s fertile fields ravaged by floods
In addition, the committee will propose measures to strengthen flood preparedness, including improving early warning systems, and gather information on coordination between the Punjab provincial government and federal authorities.
The committee may also convene experts to participate in its meetings to provide technical input.
Separately, officials released updated figures on flood damage across Punjab and the country.
According to Punjab Chief Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, more than 2.2 million residents have been safely evacuated and more than 4.2 million people have been affected during this monsoon season, making it the largest rescue and relief operation in the history of the province.
At the national level, previous assessments by federal authorities have estimated nationwide losses to be significantly higher.
Planning Ministry officials revealed in October that flood damage caused an estimated loss of 3,856 billion rupees in the country, while the economy faces another 740 billion rupees in potential losses.
Learn more: Floods cause losses of Rs3.856 billion
According to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), more than 1.441 million acres of agricultural land spread across 27 districts of the province have been affected. Major losses were reported from Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Chiniot, Kasur, Okara, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Narowal, where crops like rice, cotton, sugarcane and vegetables were completely destroyed.
