Punjab forms parliamentary body to lead flood rehabilitation

Punjab has established a parliamentary committee to investigate the recent flood damages and oversee rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas.

The committee will be headed by Syed Ali Haider Gillani of the Pakistan Peoples Party and includes 24 members of the provincial assembly. The Punjab Assembly Secretariat has issued a notification confirming its formation.

The committee is tasked with preparing its report within 30 days. Its responsibilities include assessing the impact of the floods on agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure, estimating losses suffered by affected communities.

It will also examine the causes behind the loss of human lives during this disaster.

It will also formulate recommendations for the rehabilitation of flood victims and review the performance and administrative response of government departments during the disaster.

Read: Punjab’s fertile fields ravaged by floods

In addition, the committee will suggest measures to strengthen flood preparedness, including improvements to early warning systems, and gather information on coordination between the Punjab provincial government and the federal authorities.

The committee may also summon experts to participate in its meetings to provide technical input.

Separately, officials have released updated figures on flood damages across Punjab and the country.

According to Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, over 2.2 million residents were safely evacuated and more than 4.2 million people were affected this monsoon season, marking it the largest rescue and relief operation in the province’s history.

At the national level, earlier assessments by federal authorities placed the countrywide losses significantly higher.

Officials from the Ministry of Planning disclosed in October that flood damages have caused an estimated loss of Rs3,856 billion in the country, while the economy faces an additional Rs740 billion in potential losses.

Read more: Floods inflict losses of Rs3,856 billion

According to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), over 1.441 million acres of agricultural land across 27 districts of the province have been affected. Major losses have been reported in Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Chiniot, Kasur, Okara, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, and Narowal, where crops such as rice, cotton, sugarcane, and vegetables have been completely destroyed.