How Will Punjab Raise Local Awareness About Flood Risks?

News Desk

Lahore: Punjab Health Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee for Disaster Management, Khawaja Salman Rafique, emphasized the importance of raising public awareness about the risks associated with rains and floods at the local level.

During a Cabinet Committee meeting at the PDMA Head Office on Thursday, he urged district administrations and revenue officers to disseminate critical information through mosques and other community channels.

The meeting, which reviewed action plans related to river erosion prevention, covered a 6-point agenda. DG PDMA Irfan Ali Kathia provided a detailed briefing on these agenda items.

Among the approvals granted were the construction and repair of the Walawala safety dam in Kasur and a project aimed at mitigating erosion along the Chenab River in Hafizabad’s Bhawan Fazil area.

Significant steps were also taken by PDMA to address flood risks in the Rajanpur and DG Khan rivers, including a grant of 7 million for an early warning system and 11 million for the strengthening and repair of river dams and embankments.

The completion of these projects will be overseen by PDMA Punjab and the Commissioner of Dera Ghazi Khan.

The meeting reviewed arrangements in light of the monsoon rains and potential flooding in the Chenab River. PDMA’s preparations were praised, with the Cabinet Committee expressing satisfaction with the measures in place.

Attendees included Additional Chief Secretary Punjab Ahmad Raza Sarwar, SMBR and Relief Commissioner Punjab Nabil Javed, Commissioners from Bahawalpur, Lahore, and Gujranwala, as well as Deputy Commissioners from Bahawalnagar, Kasur, and Hafizabad, who participated via video link.

Officers from the Irrigation, Local Government, Housing and Urban Development, Livestock, Emergency Services Department, and Special Branch also attended the meeting.