Reaching out: Chief minister visits flood-hit areas
Says the damage dealt to crops and houses will be compensated .
LAHORE:
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited flood-hit areas in Jhang, Chiniot, Wazirabad and Sargodha on Tuesday and reviewed relief activities. He gave district administrations instructions on how to handle the relief operations and met flood affectees.
Sharif visited Trimmu Headworks in Jhang and reviewed the flow of water in River Chenab. He directed the administration to complete preventive measures to cope with the flood and said all steps should be taken to protect the life and property of people.
Sharif said this was the worst flood to have hit Punjab since 1972. “Every life is dear and its protection is responsibility of the government.”
He requested political and administration officers to keep away while he visited flood-hit areas and told them to perform their duties in helping the flood-affected instead.
He said the performance of political and administrative officials will be judged on the basis of their service in the time of need. He said all arrangements had been completed to evacuate flood affectees.
He promised to visit the flood victims at Trimmu Headworks on Wednesday (today) and the protective wall at Athara Hazari would be torn down in case of an emergency. He requested government machinery to stay on high alert in this regard.
The chief minister appealed to people living along river banks to move to higher ground. Sharif took relief goods and food to Bhowana, in Chiniot, by boat and visited Dalli Mangani as well. Sharif offered the boat accompanying his to the people there and said all boats must be used to service the people stranded in the area.
He said relief items must be sent via helicopters to the flood victims at Oarh Basti. Hundreds of people gathered at Oarh Basti when he arrived there and chanted slogans in his favour. Sharif said the government would take all possible steps to provide relief to the people there on priority.
He said all district coordination officers were responsible for organising relief activities and negligence would not be spared.
Sharif visited the house of a child who died in Sikandarpura, Wazirabad, and sympathised with the bereaved family. He also gave them financial assistance. He instructed the district administration to inspect the family’s house and repair it as soon as possible.
Sharif told people at Mohallah Sikandarpura, Wazirabad that the damage dealt to the crops and houses would be compensated. He said he was saddened over the loss of life and property in the flood.
He took notice of shortage of food in some flood affected areas in Wazirabad and ordered the provision of food hampers, water and other essential items there. He said shortage of food in calamity-hit areas would not be tolerated.
Preparation for flood relief operations
Cabinet Committee on Flood Chairman Col (r) Shuja Khanzada said that a state of emergency had been declared in 21 districts and the entire government machinery was engaged in providing relief to flood victims. He said 12 helicopters and 250 boats were being used in relief operations in 1,420 affected villages. He said DCOs had been given Rs1.8 billion to conduct relief activities.
Khanzada was briefing media-men at the civil secretariat on Tuesday. He said 156 people had died and 256 were injured because of the rains and floods so far. He said 466 mobile teams of the Health Department had been mobilised for the relief operations and more than 13,000 people had been treated. He said arrangements for medical assistance had been completed at all relief camps and vaccines for snake and dog bites had been made available. Khanzada said there was a possibility that the situation would worsen in River Chenab.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2014.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited flood-hit areas in Jhang, Chiniot, Wazirabad and Sargodha on Tuesday and reviewed relief activities. He gave district administrations instructions on how to handle the relief operations and met flood affectees.
Sharif visited Trimmu Headworks in Jhang and reviewed the flow of water in River Chenab. He directed the administration to complete preventive measures to cope with the flood and said all steps should be taken to protect the life and property of people.
Sharif said this was the worst flood to have hit Punjab since 1972. “Every life is dear and its protection is responsibility of the government.”
He requested political and administration officers to keep away while he visited flood-hit areas and told them to perform their duties in helping the flood-affected instead.
He said the performance of political and administrative officials will be judged on the basis of their service in the time of need. He said all arrangements had been completed to evacuate flood affectees.
He promised to visit the flood victims at Trimmu Headworks on Wednesday (today) and the protective wall at Athara Hazari would be torn down in case of an emergency. He requested government machinery to stay on high alert in this regard.
The chief minister appealed to people living along river banks to move to higher ground. Sharif took relief goods and food to Bhowana, in Chiniot, by boat and visited Dalli Mangani as well. Sharif offered the boat accompanying his to the people there and said all boats must be used to service the people stranded in the area.
He said relief items must be sent via helicopters to the flood victims at Oarh Basti. Hundreds of people gathered at Oarh Basti when he arrived there and chanted slogans in his favour. Sharif said the government would take all possible steps to provide relief to the people there on priority.
He said all district coordination officers were responsible for organising relief activities and negligence would not be spared.
Sharif visited the house of a child who died in Sikandarpura, Wazirabad, and sympathised with the bereaved family. He also gave them financial assistance. He instructed the district administration to inspect the family’s house and repair it as soon as possible.
Sharif told people at Mohallah Sikandarpura, Wazirabad that the damage dealt to the crops and houses would be compensated. He said he was saddened over the loss of life and property in the flood.
He took notice of shortage of food in some flood affected areas in Wazirabad and ordered the provision of food hampers, water and other essential items there. He said shortage of food in calamity-hit areas would not be tolerated.
Preparation for flood relief operations
Cabinet Committee on Flood Chairman Col (r) Shuja Khanzada said that a state of emergency had been declared in 21 districts and the entire government machinery was engaged in providing relief to flood victims. He said 12 helicopters and 250 boats were being used in relief operations in 1,420 affected villages. He said DCOs had been given Rs1.8 billion to conduct relief activities.
Khanzada was briefing media-men at the civil secretariat on Tuesday. He said 156 people had died and 256 were injured because of the rains and floods so far. He said 466 mobile teams of the Health Department had been mobilised for the relief operations and more than 13,000 people had been treated. He said arrangements for medical assistance had been completed at all relief camps and vaccines for snake and dog bites had been made available. Khanzada said there was a possibility that the situation would worsen in River Chenab.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2014.