Flood warning: High alert

Shahbaz Sharif instructs provincial administration to take immediate measures to cope with the flooding

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday instructed the provincial administration to take immediate measures to cope with the flooding caused by heavy rains across the province.

He said relief activities should be accelerated and directed administrative officers and Water and Sanitation Agency officials to ensure drainage of rainwater.

He expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the Punjab and announced financial assistance of Rs500,000 for affected families. He also announced Rs100,000 for the injured. He said the government would stand by the people in time of need.

He said elected representatives, administrative officials and senior WASA officers should personally supervise disposal of rainwater from low-lying areas and remain present in the field until the situation improved.

Sharif said treatment facilities for people injured in accidents caused by rains also be ensured. He said laxity in relief operations would not be tolerated.

He directed assembly members to visit families of people killed in various incidents. Shahbaz also assigned duties to provincial ministers to monitor relief activities in all divisions of the province. He said lawmakers should also monitor relief activities in their constituencies.

Sharif said the administrative machinery should remain on alert in case the weather worsened. He also issued instructions to the provincial administration to deal with the threat of floods due to the recent rains. He said precautionary measures should be adopted to deal with potential floods and concerned institutions should ensure implementation of standard operating procedures to cope with emergencies.

Sharif said he had closely monitored the situation in Lahore all day and had issued instructions to the administration and heads of concerned departments to cope with the situation.

He said that no effort should be spared for immediate redressal of problems of the people.

CS visits inundated areas

Chief Secretary Naveed Akram Cheema visited Lakshmi Chowk, Out Fall road and Gulberg to monitor water drainage.

Cheema was accompanied by the Lahore commissioner and district officer.

Cheema directed WASA officials to ensure complete drainage. He said the managing director should supervise the operation till the water was cleared.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2014.