As sudden floods continue to devastate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial government released RS8 billion on aid funds for all affected districts, with 500 m additional specifically for Buner worse hit.
The recent catastrophic floods in KP have charged at least 325 lives until Monday and wounded 156 people, since the national number of rain -related incidents since the end of June rose to 657.
The Provincial Disaster Authority of KP (PDMA) announced on Monday RS800M in aid funds to the administrations of the affected districts on the instructions of the provincial government.
It has been allocated to a separate help fund for RS500M for the Buner district, which represents most victims with 217 deaths and 120 injuries, according to a PDMA report published today.
Buner was followed by Shangla, with 36 deaths and 21 people injured in sudden floods and ceiling collapses since August 15. At least 95 houses have been damaged, 55 completely, with so many partially destroyed schools.
Mansehra and Bajaur registered 24 and 21 deaths, respectively, and five injuries each. Swat reported 17 deaths and two injuries, but witnessed the heavy damage to the infrastructure, since 219 houses have been totally or partially damaged and 163 cattle have perished.
Five people died and three people were injured in Dires Lower due to sudden floods and thunder attacks, while 100 cattle perished. Three people died in Battagram due to sudden floods, while a ceiling collapse in Nowshera killed two people.
Restoration of flood affected areas A national obligation: tarar
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that rescue, relief and restoration of floods affected by floods were a “national obligation”, ensuring that federal and provincial governments would work collectively to fulfill this responsibility.
During an informative media session together with the Minister of Climate Change Musaddiq Malik and the president of the NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider, in Islamabad, Tarar said that an important meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today in the recent floods caused by the monzónic rains.
Tarar said that rescue and relief activities in the flood areas were discussed at the meeting and that a better coordination was ongoing with the provincial governments.
He pointed out that several meetings were held at the National Command and Control Center before the Rains Monzón hit, with representatives of all provincial governments participating.
“The NDMA has regularly provided the data to the relevant authorities through the early alert system,” Tarar said.
He added that the aid activities were being carried out by the Armed Forces and other organizations in areas affected by flooding in KP, Azad Jammu and Cashmira and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Secretary of Communications was already in GB to supervise the restoration of the Skardu-Gilgit road, Tarar said, while the president of the National Road Authority was in the Malakand division leading the efforts to restore the roads.
Similarly, said Tarar, the Federal Minister of Cashmiro Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Amir Muqam were also in Buner by monitoring the rescue and relief work.
“The prime minister has instructed the ministers of water, energy and communications to guarantee their presence in these areas to personally monitor the infrastructure restoration work related to their respective ministries,” he said.
More to follow
