Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday directed all relevant departments to utilise every available human and mechanical resource to effectively deal with urban flooding, hill torrents and possible flood emergencies across the province.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review the monsoon situation, the chief minister also instructed the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) and other power distribution companies to take immediate notice of deaths caused by electrocution during rains.
“People are losing their lives because of the negligence of power distribution companies. Dangling electric wires on utility poles have become a serious threat to human life,” she said. The meeting was briefed in detail by WASA and other departments on the province’s monsoon preparedness and response.
The chief minister directed authorities to maintain a record of prompt action and complaint resolution through the WASA complaint helpline. She also ordered strict enforcement of the ban on bathing in rivers, dams and barrages, along with drone monitoring of vulnerable sites.
Maryam Nawaz directed the administration to use mosques, electronic media and social media platforms to issue timely public advisories regarding rainfall and flood conditions. She also ordered that all construction sites be secured during the monsoon season.
The chief minister instructed district administrations to inspect dilapidated and unsafe buildings and ensure their voluntary evacuation where necessary. She further ordered that manholes, drains and roadside pits across the province be properly secured and directed immediate drainage of water from commercial centres and other public places on a priority basis.
Appealing to parents, she urged them to keep children away from dangerous flood-affected locations. She also directed the Health Department to dispatch Clinics on Wheels to affected areas with anti-snake venom and medicines to prevent waterborne diseases.
She ordered advance warning and timely evacuation measures in Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan in view of the risk of urban flooding and hill torrents. She directed that monsoon flood control rooms remain operational round the clock in every district.
In Murree, she ordered precautionary evacuation in areas vulnerable to landslides and directed authorities to warn tourists through public announcements about the potential risks.
The chief minister also instructed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), WASA, Rescue 1122, Local Government Department and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to ensure complete coordination. She further directed immediate drainage of rainwater from residential areas, streets and neighbourhoods and ordered the provision of additional dewatering sets in districts according to operational requirements.
Expressing satisfaction over the response, Ms Sharif said areas that previously remained inundated for days or even weeks had witnessed water clearance within a few hours due to timely planning and effective execution.
“Despite forecasts of heavier rainfall owing to climate change, our advance preparations proved effective,” she said.
She noted that, after several decades, residents of Gujrat experienced rapid drainage of rainwater, preventing the city from being submerged. “I am proud of my team’s performance and grateful to Almighty Allah,” she said.
The chief minister said the establishment of WASA in 41 districts and implementation of the PDP project had delivered positive results. She added that 1,000 dewatering sets and sucker machines had been provided to WASA formations across the province.
She said an additional 660,000 tonnes of desilting had been carried out, while 4,000 kilometres of sewerage lines, over 225,000 manholes and 724 kilometres of drains had been cleaned.
She also announced that another 207 state-of-the-art dewatering sets would be imported from Italy and provided to WASA to further strengthen the province’s flood response capacity.
During the meeting, the chief minister appreciated Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, Housing Minister Bilal Yasin, Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique, deputy commissioners of Gujrat, Gujranwala, Okara, Lahore and Murree, as well as the entire administrative team, for their performance during the ongoing monsoon season.