‘Flood situation remains under control in first monsoon spell’

LAHORE : Provincial Minister for Disaster Management Authority Mian Khalid Mahmood has said the flood situation remained under control in the first monsoon spell and no loss of life or property was reported anywhere in the province.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the minister said timely rescue and relief operations have helped minimise the possible losses. Reports of different incidents were received from Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat and Kasur, including seven incidents of roof collapse.

Meanwhile, another report about the collapse of a wall was received from Gujrat. Nine people were injured in a total of eight incidents, the minister stated.

The PDMA and line departments are fully active to deal with the situation.

The flow of water in rivers has been reported below the flood level, he said. However, there is a chance of drizzle in areas near large rivers like Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Multan divisions. The PDMA is also devising a comprehensive policy for the protection of agri lands and localities from rivers' erosion under the Floodplain Regulation Act, 2016, so that undue interference in the shape of settlement in flood areas was discouraged, the minister said.

The minister said the required resources had been provided by PDMA to the emergency centres set up at the level of villages and tehsils across Punjab. Meanwhile, the Finance Department has timely provided resources, he said. Similarly, the agri lands and neighbourhoods were being protected from river erosions in collaboration with the Irrigation Department and local administration.