Lahore (TASSAWAR NEWS) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has praised the “largest rescue operation in Punjab’s history,” confirming the safe evacuation of over 600,000 people and 450,000 livestock from flood-hit areas.
Chairing a meeting at the PDMA in Lahore, Maryam lauded government departments, the army, police, and rescue workers for working as “one team” during Punjab’s worst flood crisis in decades. She stressed that proactive efforts had minimized losses despite continuous rains and water inflows from India.
Key directives included:
- Setting up tent villages with separate spaces for men and women.
- Using school buildings as shelters.
- Providing dry rations, clean water, and fodder for livestock.
- Deploying rafts instead of boats for animal evacuation.
- Creating a special cell for lost livestock.
- Installing dewatering pumps in inundated areas.
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb reported that over 1.5 million people across 2,038 villages have been affected. At least 30 deaths have been confirmed. Currently, 511 relief camps, 351 medical camps, and 321 veterinary camps are operating, while 808 boats are carrying out nonstop rescue missions.
Maryam emphasized the need for compassionate governance: “People shouldn’t have to call us for help; we should reach them ourselves.”
Officials warned that climate change has turned floods into a recurring disaster, stressing the urgent need for advanced early warning systems and long-term preventive strategies.
