PESHAWAR: The death toll from Friday’s rainstorm in Peshawar and its adjoining areas reached 18 on Saturday as two more injured people died.

Also, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak announced compensation for the families of the people, who either lost life or suffered injuries.

Deputy medical superintendent of Lady Reading Hospital Dr Arif told Dawn that two more people had died of injuries they had suffered during rain-related incidents.

He said 42 injured people, including children, were brought to the hospital and 29 of them had been discharged after treatment.

On Friday, the heavy rain caused collapse of walls and roofs of houses, and uprooted trees and electricity poles in different localities of the provincial capital.

Old trees in the cantonment area severely damaged power supply system.

Members of the cantonment board and municipal corporation staff kept removing fallen trees in the city throughout the day on Saturday.

CM announces compensation for dead, injured people

Spokesman for the Peshawar Electric Supply Company Shaukat Afzal said the windstorm badly damaged transmission lines laying 56 feeders out of order.

He said 51 feeders were restored late night, while the rest were repaired on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the rainstorm triggered a war of words between the provincial and federal governments.

Opposition parties also criticised Chief Minister Pervez Khattak for his absence from the province and slow response to the disaster.

Speaker of the provincial assembly Asad Qaisar and minister for local government Inayatullah Khan visited hospitals and houses of the affected families.

The chief minister and his cabinet members have been in Islamabad since Thursday in connection with the PTI’s protest march against the federal government.

The speaker rejected the offer of the federal and Punjab governments for help after the rainstorm and said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had sufficient resources to cope with the situation and there was no need of assistance from outside.

During a news conference at the Speaker’s House, he said the federal government instead of offering lip service should fulfil its own responsibilities and restore electricity in the rain-affected areas.

“No one has a control over natural calamity and such like calamity is a test from the nature,” he said.

The federal government had announced compensation for the affected families and directed the National Disaster Management Authority to start rescue work and assist people.

Qaisar said the government’s machinery was on ground and basic needs of the affected people were being fulfilled. He said Rs10 million had been released to the affected people. He said that federal government had offered compensation to the victims’ families for political point scoring.

COMPENSATION: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak announced compensation for the families of the deceased and the injured.

A handout said the chief minister had announced compensation of Rs300,000 for the family of the deceased each and Rs50,000 for the injured each and financial assistance of Rs100,000 for any person disabled in the incident under natural calamity package.Khattak contacted commissioner of Peshawar division Munir Azam and besides extending speedy contacts with affected families and arrangement for early payment of financial assistance also directed him for constitution of teams to conduct survey for damages to standing crops and other properties.

He also directed dispatching of relief teams while keeping in view effects of storm and shifting of injured to nearby hospitals and payment of full attention to their treatment.

The chief minister expressed grief over the loss of human lives and damage to standing crops and public property by the rainstorm.

HAVOC IN LAKKI MARWAT: Torrential rains coupled with hailstorm played havoc in parts of Lakki Marwat on Friday and Saturday.

According to reports, heavy downpour led to damage to boundary walls and roofs of houses in urban and rural areas of the district.

However, no damage to public life was reported.

In Lakki city, clogged sewers overflowed and turning streets and roads into pools of water.

Pedestrians and motorists faced trouble in their movement due to the flooded roads and streets.

Rain with swift winds also uprooted trees and damaged electricity poles in Tajazai, Zeran, Kalan and other parts of the district.

Forest officials removed fallen trees from roads, while Pesco staffers spent the day repairing broken poles and wires to restore power supply.

Besides, rain also damaged power pylons causing long suspension of electricity in the urban and rural localities. Heavy shower flooded rainy watercourses while the River Gambila saw rise in water level.

Residents have demanded of the local administration to direct revenue employees to assess rain-related losses for early compensation.

The rain also lashed Mansehra, Battagram and Kohistan on Saturday, turning the weather pleasant.

The rain, which began on Friday night, continued intermittently on Saturday. It flooded of roads and thus, stressing out motorists and pedestrians.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2014