GUJRAT: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Punjab, has taken a serious notice of inundation of railway track at the Gujrat railway station during the July 12 downpour and asked deputy commissioners across the province to take immediate measures to protect the rails, crossings and platforms from flood.

A letter issued to the DCs and chief engineer (open line) of Pakistan Railways said remedial measures for proper drainage be undertaken urgently.

Official sources told Dawn that the PDMA DG Mudassir Waheed Malik visited Gujrat on Sunday and inspected the Gujrat station along with officials of railways and local administration and found that rail tracks close to the platforms had no drainage.

The PR officials reportedly told the DG that drains along the tracks had not been desilted since long.

The NDMA DG held a meeting with officials of all the concerned departments at the deputy commissioner’s office and directed them to immediately resolve the issue of accumulation of rain water within seven days.

Officials of the public health and engineering department suggested construction of another small drain along the track area to avoid any such problem in future.

Gujrat DC Muhammad Ali Randhawa held a follow up meeting on Monday where a sum of Rs 9 million was approved for the construction of a new drain along the railway tracks.

The DC also ordered an inquiry into the alleged wrong declaration of desilting of drain along the railway track in the light of a complaint lodged by PR’s local authorities.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2017