SAHIWAL: The divisional Directorate of Health has established 16 relief camps in Okara and Pakpattan districts to provide medical facilities to flood affectees water.

Dr Saleem Sadiq, director of the divisional health services, told Dawn that 11 medical camps had been established in Pakpattan and five in Okara, adding that health officials, including medical officers and paramedic staff, will remain at the camps 24 hours till floodwater receded. A low level flood was recorded in River Sutlej.

Syed Salman Hussain, the Pakpattan district information officer, said that an embankment created by locals breached on Saturday afternoon. Witnesses said the breach was over 30 feet near Mangel Hasnakay locality due to which floodwater entered adjacent localities, but army and Rescue 1122 personnel immediately shifted the population to safer locations.

The flood in Sutlej damaged crops in Pir Ghani, Baba Farid Pull, Noora Rath and Tibi Lala Baig sectors. There were reports of villagers also losing their livestock in the flood.

Many flood-affected villagers in Depalpur tehsil were expecting the chief minister (CM) to visit them during his visit to Sahiwal on Saturday. But the CM just took an aerial view of the affected areas from his helicopter.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2019