Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has directed departments concerned to be vigilant to the flood threat during the monsoons and prepare a contingency plan to cope with emergency situations. Presiding over a high-level meeting to review possible arrangements to deal with floods on Saturday, he warned officials that dereliction of duty with regard to coping with floods would not be tolerated. The chief minister said a cabinet committee headed by a senior adviser would submit its report on flood preparations within the next seven days and in the light of this report, arrangements would be made more effective, he added.
Senior Adviser Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Provincial Minister for Irrigation Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh, Members of the Punjab Assembly from Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Mianwali, Rajanpur, Bahawalpur and Multan, Board of Revenue senior member, home secretary, and commissioners from Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Sargodha and secretaries from the departments concerned attended the meeting.
Board of Revenue Akhlaq Ahmad Tarrar, Secretary Irrigation Irfan Elahi and Provincial Disaster Management Authority Director General Khalid Sherdil gave a detailed briefing with regard to protective measures and construction of embankments along canals and rivers across the province.
The CM said last year’s flood caused vast devastation in the province and a number of villages were washed away. Besides, he said the floods caused a loss of property, livestock and crops worth billion of rupees. He said this year, commissioners, district coordination officers and concerned departments should remain fully alert to meet any emergency situation and fill embankments on a war footing. He said the cabinet committee headed by Senior Adviser Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa and consisting of Provincial Minister for Irrigation Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh, members of the national and provincial assemblies would review all protective measures themselves and suggest improvements. He said that the committee would review in detail all matters including the condition of dykes and embankments, snake bite medicine, and availability of clean drinking water.
Earlier, Tarrar told the meeting that all arrangements have been completed to meet any emergency situation throughout the province and all districts and departments concerned have evolved plans in this regard. Secretary Irrigation Irfan Elahi said dykes have been reinforced at a cost of Rs. 2.5 billion and three projects have also been started to cope with any eventuality caused by hill torrents. Provincial Management Authority Director General Khalid Sherdil said all protective arrangements have been completed against flood and places 509 places have been identified for setting up relief camps.
