To avoid another Swat-like destruction, Prime Minister has ordered steps

On Tuesday, the federal cabinet increased cash aid to flood victims from Rs28 billion to Rs70 billion.

The cabinet also emphasized the need for strict adherence to zoning restrictions throughout the country to avoid unlawful development on the river bank and to prevent flash floods from wreaking havoc similar to that which was caused in Swat.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who presided over the cabinet meeting that took place in the wake of the floods, issued a plea on the nation to demonstrate the same selflessness and resiliency as was displayed on September 6, 1965 (Defence Day), on the face of the current serious circumstances.

Following the cabinet meeting that took place on Tuesday, the prime minister made an announcement on Twitter stating that the government has agreed to increase the cash assistance from Rs28 billion to Rs70 billion as a one-time payment at the rate of Rs25,000 per family.

This rise can be attributed to the breadth and depth of the devastation caused by the flood.

The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) is the entity that is tasked with distributing the payments

.Another of his tweets said the country needed to “summon the spirit of 1965” to get through the “historic floods” and other problems it was facing.

He said, “National unity is our greatest strength. Anyone intending to hurt the bond between our armed forces and people is not a friend of Pakistan. Let us fortify this bond of one nation”.

The whole nation comes together today in paying homage to our martyrs & Ghazis who put their lives on the line to defend the motherland against the Indian aggression. Together our armed forces & people thwarted the Indian machinations to undermine our territorial integrity.

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 6, 2022

According to the National Disaster Management Authority, at least 1,325 people, including 466 children, were murdered as a result of the flooding that was caused by record monsoon rains and glacier melt in the north. Additionally, 33 million people were affected by the flooding.

According to sources from the Prime Minister’s House, Mr. Sharif has also given orders to relevant authorities instructing them to rigorously obey zoning regulations for using the river bed to minimize future damage in Swat caused by floods.

At the cabinet meeting, fateha was performed in memory of those who had passed away as a result of the flash floods as well as military personnel who had been killed in combat.

Cabinet members were informed during the meeting that 6,615 union councils in 81 areas had been impacted by flooding.

As many as 32 districts in Balochistan, 23 in Sindh, 17 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 6 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 3 in Punjab were impacted.

Of the 1,325 deaths reported across the country, 522 have occurred in Sindh. It was then claimed that 289 people had died in KP, 260 in Balochistan, 189 in Punjab, 42 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and 22 in GB.

The flooding has also injured 12,703 people. There were 8,322 injured in Sindh, 3,844 in Punjab, 348 in KP, 164 in Balochistan, 21 in AJK, and 5 in GB.

From July to August, the country received a combined total of 390.7 mm (15.38 in) of precipitation, which is over 190% more precipitation than the 30-year normal for those months.

The province of Sindh saw 466% and the province of Balochistan saw 437% more precipitation than usual for those months.

Moreover, the rains have washed away 750,000 livestock heads, damaged 1,680,000 dwellings, and washed out 246 bridges and 5,735 kilometers of highways.

Because of the potential for a catastrophic food crisis, the cabinet decided to make between 80% and 90% of the land cultivable for the wheat crop.

Twenty billion rupees out of a total of thirty billion rupees had reportedly been doled out to flood victims thus far. Within the next three days, the remaining seven billion rupees would be distributed to qualified families.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan has also promised an additional Rs15 billion to the people of Sindh, Rs10 billion to those who live in Balochistan and KP, and Rs3 billion to those who live in GB.

Every family who lost a member in the floods received Rs. 1 million from the central government.

At the meeting, Minister of Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq reported that floods had damaged four railway lines and that a broken railway bridge had halted traffic on the section of the railway between Quetta and Sibbi.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari briefed the conference on the current situation with the floods in Sindh.

The prime minister reassured him that tents and mosquito netting would be provided for the affected family’s shelter.

Energy Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir reported that two of the three 810-megawatt energy transmission lines in Balochistan had been restored, with the only grid stations that remain offline at present being those that were flooded.