LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has said a latest radar worth Rs737 million will be installed in Sialkot to monitor the weather situation. He also directed removing encroachments in riverine areas because of the flood threat.

The chief minister also said the Punjab government was launching a new Rs14 billion worth of a project to improve the sewerage of Lahore.

He said a project costing billions of rupees was also being launched in the provincial metropolis to provide clean drinking water to people.

The chief minister was chairing a meeting to review the performance of provincial disaster management authority (PDMA), primary and secondary health, specialised health and medical education, Board of Revenue, Punjab Land Record Authority, industries, and agriculture departments.

The chief minister directed the line departments to remain fully vigilant and alert because of the flood threat. He directed improving organisational capacity of the PDMA at the earliest.

The chief minister directed completion of 115 new Arazi centres by Dec 31 and added that it would create more employment opportunities besides providing relief to the people.

Mr Buzdar said the government was recruiting more doctors to overcome the shortage in remote areas. He directed that the health department should ensure that only disposable razors be used at barber shops to control Hepatitis disease. He said in the first phase, emergencies of 100 THQ hospitals would be upgraded by the government.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2019