CHINIOT: Scores of displaced residents of a flood-affected village of the district on Friday blocked Chiniot-Pindi Bhattian highway for traffic, demanding tents, food and fodder for their livestock, while the district administration used an army helicopter to drop ration bags in some inaccessible villages.
Following a fresh release of water in the river Chenab by India during the last 24 hours, its water flow had resurged to 550,000 cusecs on Thursday, again displacing residents of several villages and settlements.
On Friday, scores of residents of Jhangar Gloteran, a flood-hit village in the river belt, gathered on Chiniot-Pindi Bhattian Highway and blocked its both tracks for traffic.
They complained that they had not been provided tents, food and livestock fodder by the district administration despite the passage of many days since they were displaced by floodwater.
Army helicopter used to drop ration bags in affected areas
“We are living under the open sky with our women and children, but the administration is neither providing us enough food, nor tents,” a protester said.
However, taking notice of their complaint, the district administration’s relief teams provided them 78 tents for temporary shelter, along with food items, an official claimed.
He says the administration has also installed portable toilets at the relief camps and women were provided sanitation kits for their specific needs.
He says that as a large number of people are still living in their flood-hit villages, which are surrounded by the floodwater from all sides and are not accessible through land, the district administration has been provided a helicopter by the Pakistan Army to drop ration bags in these areas.
He says that the army helicopter made three flights to the scattered flood-hit villages and settlements, including Jhangar Gloteran, Burj Umar, Babu Rai, Obhan, Sambhal, Noshera, Obalkay and Kalri on Friday, dropping 500 ration bags during each flight for the residents who are not ready to leave their houses.
Meanwhile, Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jehangir Anwar visited a flood relief camp established at the Government Islamia College Chiniot, where Deputy Commissioner Safiullah Gondal and District Police Officer Abdullah Ahmad briefed him about the rescue and relief activities.The officers of the Pakistan Army also briefed him on operations for the distribution of ration in the flood-hit areas.
In view of the spread of epidemics in the flood-hit areas, the District Health Authority has also constituted a team of specialist doctors to treat skin diseases, gynecology-related issues andchildren. It also announced that mobile medical camps are being set up in the villages of Hersa Sheikh, Addah Sheikhan, Mathrooma, Rasheeda, Darbar Dhunday Shah, Bhowana Markee amp and Langar Makhdoom to provide treatment to the flood-hit people at their doorsteps.
Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2025
