ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday instructed Pakistan’s disaster agency to ensure timely flood alerts and coordinate with provincial authorities as the country witnessed fresh surges in its eastern rivers, with the Chenab reaching near critical levels overnight, according to official data.
The government announced on Wednesday floods had killed at least 43 people in the last 10 days and displaced more than 1.3 million in Punjab, the country’s most populous province, where hundreds of relief camps have been set up across inundated districts.
Nationwide, 883 people have died since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), as officials warn of further inundations, reviving memories of the catastrophic 2022 deluges that submerged a third of the country and caused over $35 billion in losses.
The present situation has been fueled by days of heavy monsoon rains and dam releases from upstream India. Embankments are being reinforced across downstream districts, where evacuation teams have been pre-deployed.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to complete preparations for rescue and relief operations, considering the rise of water levels in Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers,” the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency said.
