LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to set up flood relief committees at district and tehsil levels to manage aid distribution and rehabilitation in areas hit by recent floods.
Chairing a meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said a survey form, mobile app, and central monitoring dashboard would be introduced to ensure transparency and effective oversight.
She directed officials to begin full-scale rehabilitation work for affected families, restore roads and bridges without delay, and create simple procedures for providing aid.
Maryam Nawaz said the floods affected 3,775 villages across 64 tehsils in 27 districts, damaging over 63,000 concrete houses and 309,000 mud houses.
Survey teams consisting of members from the Urban Unit, Revenue Department, Agriculture Department, and Pakistan Army will collect data to assess the losses accurately.
The CM stressed that no flood victim should be left without help. “We will compensate everyone for their losses so that no one is deprived of their rightful relief,” she said. She also ordered the establishment of more relief camps and distribution points.
Sutlej breach submerges more villages
A breach in the Sutlej River at Noraja Bhutta worsened the flooding in south Punjab, submerging 150 more villages in Multan, Lodhran, and Bahawalpur districts.
Thousands of residents have been displaced as floodwaters spread over a 20-kilometre stretch near the Multan-Sukkur M-5 Motorway.
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In Bahawalpur, villages such as Nowshera Jadeed, Saadullahpur, Soiwala, Nai Basti, and Basti Chakar were completely flooded.
In Lodhran, villages including Adam Wahan, Munshi Wala, Jhangra, and Thali Wala were washed away.
Jalalpur Pirwala remains submerged. Authorities are considering breaching a section of the motorway to divert floodwaters into the Chenab River, with a technical committee reviewing the proposal.
Multan Division Commissioner Amir Karim Khan visited Jalalpur Pirwala to oversee rescue and relief operations. He inspected the damaged motorway section, where National Highway Authority (NHA) officials briefed him on repair work using heavy machinery.
Motorway Police spokesperson Imran Shah confirmed that the M-5 motorway remains closed, with traffic diverted through Shah Shams and Uch Sharif interchanges using alternate routes on the national highway.
Casualties and losses
Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said the death toll in Punjab has reached 123. Speaking at a press conference, he said floodwaters have started receding in many areas, leading to the suspension of boat rescue operations.
He also confirmed that the monsoon season is over and that all rivers are now at normal levels, except for a slightly higher flow in the Sutlej.
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However, 10-12 kilometres of the M-5 motorway remain flooded, keeping a 22-kilometre stretch closed.
Kathia added that water from the Indus River did not pose any threat. “The damaged section of the bridge has been filled,” he stated.
A South Punjab Secretariat report revealed that 45 deaths occurred in the region, with 1.17 million people affected and 1,112 villages submerged.
The floods damaged 1.17 million acres of farmland and destroyed crops on 1.25 million acres.
Relief operations are ongoing, with 1,145 camps providing food, medicine, and other essentials.
Authorities have evacuated 1.5 million people and 1.47 million livestock. Medical care has been provided to 451,978 people, and 848,119 animals have been treated.
