The chief minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, visited the zones with floods in Nankana Sahib to assess the extent of the damage caused by the recent heavy rains and supervise the in progress rescue operations, Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.
During the visit, she interacted with local residents and personally examined the government’s emergency response. The chief minister assured that families affected that the provincial government would compensate them for the loss of cultures and livestock due to flood waters.
She also announced financial assistance for people whose mud houses have been destroyed in the flood, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to support rehabilitation and recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, in the light of recent destructive floods, the administration of the Rawalpindi district declared 19 urban locations as very sensitive to future sudden floods.
In an official directive, the deputy commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema published a circular identifying these high -risk areas and appointing assistant commissioners, Tehsildars and department heads as supervisory officers specific to the area.
Vulnerable areas include a new Katarian Lai bridge, Bangash Colony, Zia-Ul-Haq Colony, Boring Road, Pirwadhai Bridge, Dhoke Naju, Dhoke Dalal, Dhoke Hassu Bridge, Hazara Colony, Dhoke Ratta, Gawalmandi, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh, Sadiqaba Mohri, Bhatta Last Stop, Banaras Colony and Sharon Colony (Sawan camp).
These areas have experienced serious urban floods on three separate occasions during last week, with water increasing from three to five feet inside houses and streets, causing generalized damage and difficulties for residents.
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To strengthen the response in the event of a disaster on the ground, the circle loads were designated in the relevant departments. In addition, agents of health, education, police, income, rescue and civil defense services have been deployed in these areas subject to floods to ensure coordinated action in the event of an emergency.
The DC has mandated that all affected officers must relate to their designated locations at the start of precipitation. The lack of response or any lack of duty will result in strict disciplinary measures.
Despite these measures, the residents of Nadeem Colony, Javed Colony and Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh – including Haji Naveed Khan, Chaudhry Imran, Chaudhry Shaukat and Zartaj Khan – expressed deep frustration.
They claim that their communities have endured more than five decades of recurring flood crises, but during the last deluge, no official presence or support was obvious – even as flooded flood waters in their neighborhoods.
Residents called on the administration to go beyond symbolic surveillance and deploy fully equipped rescue teams. They underlined the urgent need for the complete cleaning of drainage systems and active operations in terms of alleviating floods. Residents say they don’t need “civil servants in costumes and boots that look from the touch”, but real rescue teams on the field.
