Govt mulls evacuation after flood warning in DG Khan

LAHORE:After the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a flood warning due to heavy rains in Dera Ghazi Khan Division on August 17 and 18, the Punjab government has started considering the evacuation of residents from vulnerable areas to protect their lives and property.

Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal chaired an important meeting at his office in the Civil Secretariat on Monday to review the arrangements for dealing with possible flooding due to heavy downpour. The meeting decided to deploy mobile teams of the departments of health, livestock and volunteers of Civil Defence in DG Khan Division. The chief secretary directed the authorities to immediately identify the areas likely to be hit by hill torrents and arrangements would be made to move people as well as livestock away from unsafe places. He said that transport and food facilities should be provided to locals moving to safer places and the help of notables of the area and prayer leaders (Imam) of mosques should be sought to convince people for the evacuation.

He said that senior member of the board of revenue would supervise the evacuation plan, and relief and rescue operation. The meeting was briefed that about 6,000 people were affected by floods in DG Khan, Rajanpur and Jampur on Sunday.Rescue operations were conducted at nine places in DG Khan and four places in Jampur.