LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Following instructions from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Punjab government has launched a province-wide flood damage survey. Officials confirmed that the survey will cover 28 flood-affected districts.
The decision emerged during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman at the Civil Secretariat. Participants reviewed ongoing relief measures, infrastructure restoration, and deployment of health services. They also evaluated local administrations’ preparedness for efficient aid distribution.
Relief and Recovery Measures
Chief Secretary Zaman directed authorities to send more tents and food supplies to the people of Uch Sharif. He instructed Bahawalpur’s deputy commissioner to personally supervise operations in the field.
He emphasized that the survey would soon begin to document loss of lives, damage to houses, and destruction of crops and livestock. Furthermore, he ordered deputy commissioners to personally oversee the survey to ensure transparency and accuracy.
The chief secretary stressed immediate drainage of stagnant water, better sanitation, and restoration of damaged roads. He warned that water ponding must be cleared without delay to prevent health crises.
Thousands of Villages Impacted
Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed briefed the meeting that floods affected more than 4,500 villages. Over 2,000 survey teams will participate in the damage assessment. Families displaced in Narowal, Sialkot, Chiniot, Jhang, Okara, Sahiwal, and Sargodha have started returning home.
Senior officials, divisional commissioners, and deputy commissioners from across Punjab joined the meeting through video link.
Rising Sutlej River Threatens More Areas
Meanwhile, water levels in the Sutlej River continued rising, inundating Multan, Bahawalpur, and Lodhran’s low-lying areas.
A broken dyke at Noraja Bhutta submerged several union councils, including Bahadurpur, Sundra, Dipal, and Kanu. To protect Jalalpur Pirwala city, authorities executed a controlled breach at Gillani Road, diverting floodwater toward kutcha areas.
Floods damaged the Multan-Sukkur Motorway at multiple points, submerging nearby villages. Officials closed the Multan-Uch Sharif Motorway section after serious damage at more than five locations. Diversions remain enforced until water levels recede.
In Muzaffargarh’s Alipur tehsil, authorities recovered nine drowned victims as water receded.
Flood Toll and Evacuations
Relief Commissioner Javed reported that 118 people had died in flood-related incidents. He added that 4.7 million people across 47,000 mouzas were affected. Authorities evacuated 2.6 million people and two million cattle.
A network of 337 relief camps, 429 medical camps, and 368 veterinary camps has been established across Punjab.
Situation in Rivers and Dams
Authorities confirmed that Mangla Dam is 95 percent full while Tarbela has reached full capacity. Meanwhile, India’s Bhakra Dam is 88 percent full, Pong 94 percent, and Thein 88 percent.
Punjab PDMA reported falling water levels in most rivers, including the Jhelum, Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab. However, Panjnad continues to face a low-level flood, while Ganda Singh Wala remains at medium flood levels.
Officials continue to monitor Sulemanki and Islam Headworks, where water flow remains high.
