SIALKOT, July 14: Punjab Power Minister Armaghan Subhani and MNA Zahid Hamid on Wednesday inaugurated the construction of a 13-kilometre bund on Dek drain near Hunjali village in Pasrur tehsil, about 26km from here.

The project being carried along the Sialkot-Kingra-Zafarwal Road at an estimated cost of Rs82.572 million is meant to save over 150 villages from flood. The minister said a comprehensive plan had been initiated to prevent flood in Pasrur.

The project would be completed on Aug 14 and help save 150 villages and 8,000 acres of agricultural land, he added. He said the government was mobilizing all resources to protect low-lying areas from floods. Besides, it was making efforts to develop remote areas by providing basic amenities to people.

MNA Zahid Hamid said the project would provide a permanent relief to people of the tehsil from the havoc of flood. He corroborated the minister's claim that the government was canalizing its energy to facilitate the common man. Pasrur Link Division XEN Syed Khadim Husain Shah and NLC project in-charge Col Maroof said 50 per cent work on the construction of the bund had been completed.