HARIPUR, Nov 11: Over 3,000 flood-affected families here are being given first installment of Rs20,000 through Watan Cards as compensation for property losses, sources in the revenue department said.

The sources said that 3,100 affected families had received Watan Cards after verification by the officials of DCO office, education department, NADRA and the UBL.

Some of the affected people who did not know how to use ATM were reportedly cheated by swindlers into selling their cards for Rs10,000. However, an official told this correspondent that the district administration was taking steps to protect the Watan Card-holders and help them to get cash through ATM machine within a week of transfer of their installment.

According to statistics gathered by the revenue department, 29 villagers, including women and children, had died, 21 people injured and eight went missing during the torrential rains in July and August.

Initial reports of revenue department suggested that the flood rendered over 3,000 families homeless, destroyed road network, bridges, health facilities, schools, watermills, and water and electricity supply networks in over 30 union councils of the district.

According to official figures, 1,019 houses were damaged extensively and 1,606 partially by the heavy rain. Rain also destroyed over 10 water mills and crops and orchards over 524.51 acres inflicting a loss of Rs17.346 million to owners.