PDMA steps up flood relief efforts

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Imran Qureshi has said that relief measures were under way in flood-hit areas of the province.

In a statement issued on Monday, he said more than 595 villages were affected by the flood in Sutlej River, out of which routine life was completely restored in 145 villages.

He said that more than 1,000 rescue personnel participated in round-the-clock relief operations, adding that people were transferred to safer places by 236 boats in the affected districts.

The DG elaborated that 106 medical camps were set up to provide medical facilities to the victims.

Around 16 ambulances were alerted in the affected areas for emergency response, he added and said that more than 55,000 patients were provided treatment facilities in the medical camps.

Apart from medical, 179 relief camps were also established in the affected districts, he maintained.

A total of 300,000 people were evacuated to safer places on an emergency basis while cooked food was provided to more than 150,000 people in the flood-affected districts in Sutlej River.

More than 300,000 cattle were moved to safe places and around 90,000 cattle were given medical facilities in the flood-hit areas.

The director general said that relief activities would continue until the issue of flood was resolved completely. All the resources were being utilized for rehabilitation of flood-affected areas, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2023.