QUETTA, Sept 14: The situation in monsoon- and flood-hit areas of the province started improving on Friday after floodwater started receding and no more rains were reported from any part of Nasirabad, Jaffarabad and Dera Bugti districts over the past 24 hours.

Captain (retd) Akbar Hussain Durrani said this while speaking at a press conference as the government’s focalperson along with information secretary Muhammad Siddique Mandokhel.

However, train service could not be restored because the railway track linking Balochistan with other parts of the country was still under water between Shikarpur and Jacobabad despite passage of almost one week.

Mr Durrani said that Nasirabad and Jaffarabad districts had been badly affected in recent rains.

“So far we can confirm 22 deaths in the flood,” he said, adding that at least 9,156 people had been marooned and crops on 24,866 acres of land destroyed and 2,300 houses in 11 districts of northern and southern parts of the province damaged.

Balochistan Home Secretary Naseebullah Bazai, Information Secretary Siddiq Mandokhel, PDMA Director Tahir Munir and DGPR Kamran Asad were also present.

Mr Durrani said that floodwater inundated 2,142 wells and damaged 268 private and 26 government-run tube-wells besides damaging 1,105 km portion of roads. The floods also damaged at least 5,000 small embankments.

Referring to inconvenience caused to private and public transporters because of the suspension of road network, he said that restoration of the damaged portion of roads was the government’s top priority.

“The Quetta-Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Road and Quetta-Lorali–Dera Ghazi Khan Road liking Balochistan with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been restored,” he said.

The PDMA said that under the three-pronged strategy, rescue and relief activities were in full swing in affected areas.

“Six helicopters and 18 boats have been taking part in flood-hit areas to rescue the trapped people.

Giving details about relief goods sent to rain- flood-hit people, he said that some 4,600 blankets, 4,100 tents, 8,600 rice sacks, 2,000 pairs of shows and hundreds of food cartons have been distributed among affected families.