MULTAN: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif directed officials concerned that protective dykes should only be breached after consultation with the technical committee.

He said this while presiding over a meeting at Multan Airport on Wednesday to review the flood situation in Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions.

“If there is a need to make a breach to a protective dyke it should only be done with the consultation of technical committee,” he directed.

Shahbaz directed the authorities concerned to ensure evacuation of people from areas under threat and if someone refused he should be shifted to safer places forcibly.

He said ministers, parliamentarians, officers and officials of district administration, police and other departments should remain present at their respective points to provide relief to the people by utilising all resources. He also directed for complete arrangements of tents, food and other required necessities for flood victims besides fodder for animals. The CM said all districts had been provided Rs100 million each for their flood victims and this money should be spent transparently.

Commissioners of Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan, Asadullah Khan and Sohail Shahzad, briefed the chief minister on the arrangements.

Khan said 125 villages and 268,000 people could be affected due to floods in Multan district and 95 villages with 85,000 people in Khanewal district. He said 95pc of the people from the riverine belt had been evacuated while the remaining would be moved before the flood hit. He said relief camps had been established in Multan district.

Later talking to the media, the chief minister said the government would compensate flood victims for their loss of property, crops and animals and a satellite survey to estimate the losses had been initiated. He said flood victims would be shifted to their houses after rehabilitation.

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif claimed the biggest rescue and relief operation in the history of this country is continuing by the Punjab government for flood affectees.

He said helicopters, boats and thousands of rescue staff were taking part in the operation. He also said over 124,000 people had been shifted to safer places so far. He said 360 relief camps and 704 health camps had been set up in affected districts. He further said about 8,000 people were staying in relief camps.

Shahbaz said over 55,000 food hampers had been distributed among the affectees and 100,000 mineral water bottles provided to them. He said 38,000 tents had been sent to the affected districts whereas all boats and staff of Rescue 1122 were carrying out relief activities.

According to a press release, the chief minister visited flood-hit areas of Basti Qadirabad in Mandi Bahauddin, Bhawana tehsil, adjoining villages and Lalian tehsil, Chiniot on Wednesday.

During his visit to Basti Qadirabad of Phalia tehsil, the CM was told boats had reached to accelerate relief activities. He also visited Mauza Salman, Haweli Mubarrak Shah, Thatha Muhammad Shah, Ram Din Khooh and other adjoining villages of Bhawana tehsil by boat and reviewed relief activities. He distributed relief items among affectees and shifted marooned people to safer places.

Shahbaz also visited Dawar, Pathankot, Thatha Mian Lala, Thatha Umar, flood-hit villages of Lalian, Chiniot and adjoining areas. He said shifting people to safer places was a top priority and evacuation of people from 90pc villages had been completed. He said three helicopters were distributing relief and other eatables among the affectees.

The CM met affectees in relief camps and reviewed the facilities being provided to them. He said losses would be compensated before the water was drained out. He also said before the return of residents to their areas insecticides should be sprayed and foolproof arrangements made for treatment of animals.

Published in Dawn, September 11th , 2014