DND Report: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb are constantly reaching flood hit areas on fourth consecutive day.
They reached Talwar Post in the border area during heavy rains to visit the newly-established relief camp in Sheikh Pura area of Kasur. She welcomed the affected families who came here by boat from the flood-hit area of Gatti Kalingar. She picked up an innocent child and handed him over to his mother. She also inquired about the well-being of all women who came by rescue boat, and consoled them all. Two rafts (big boats) filled with cattle arrived there in the presence of Mdam Chief Minister. These rafts rescued 55 cattle and a farmer’s family from the affected village. The flood-hit family was shifted on the raft along with a tractor, a motorcycle rickshaw and other equipment.
Both also visited flood relief camp set up in DPS Kasur for flood-affected women. She interacted with them to inquire about their problems. She also visited patients in the temporary hospital to inquire about their well-being, and consoled them. She was briefed by the authorities concerned that rescue teams immediately responded to their call, pulled them out of the flood-affected area and shifted them to the relief camp. A woman in the camp expressed her gratitude by saying,”Many thanks to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, she pulled us out of the flood and brought us here.”
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed her affection for children residing in the camp by making them sit on her lap and loving them. She also interacted with the children in a classroom in a cheerful mood, and gave them prizes for writing their names on the whiteboard. Chief Minister was also briefed about the flood relief camp by the relevant authorities. They briefed that 29 villages in Kasur district were affected due to floods. 18300 residents were evacuated and 36129 were rescued in Kasur district. Livestock were also shifted to secure places safely. Kasur relief camp includes victims from Dhup Sari, Mboke, Ola Nagar, Aiman Pura, Mai Wala, Fati Wala and other areas. District administration removed victims out of the flood-affected areas in boats and shifted them to the relief camp in vehicles. 60 families and 312 people are residing in the relief camp, where excellent food arrangements have been made. Education also continues here for the children of flood-affected families residing in relief camps. Opportunities for play, a vast playground for small children, three doctors and medical staff are available round the clock for flood victims. 170 people benefit from treatment facilities in flood relief medical camp.
Punjab to continue flood relief operations until complete rehabilitation: Marriyum Aurangzeb
Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that relief operations will continue until all flood-affected families return to their homes, while Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is personally supervising the province’s largest-ever rescue and relief effort.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, the minister said no casualties had occurred in Shahdara due to flood torrents, adding that Deputy Commissioners (DCs) would have the authority to close schools in areas where water levels posed a threat.
Marriyum described the current floods as unprecedented, noting that such a situation had never been witnessed in the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.
She said around 20 million people have been affected, with 750,000 evacuated, 115,000 rescued by boats, and over 500,000 livestock moved to safer areas. More than 400 veterinary camps have been established, supported by police, paramilitary forces, and civil defense. Relief camps are providing dry rations, while surveys to assess damage to homes and crops are under way.
She stressed that the flooding was not solely caused by rainwater, but also due to India opening spillways without prior notice. “There are dangerous settlements along the riverbanks, but saving lives is our priority. In the future, no construction will be allowed on waterways,” she said, adding that drones and thermal cameras are being used for monitoring and rescue operations.
Rejecting allegations that floodwaters were diverted to protect the lands of influential individuals, the minister called them “fabricated and baseless stories,” urging national unity to support flood victims. She also highlighted that for the first time in Punjab’s history, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has imposed a complete ban on timber auctions to curb deforestation.
She further said that dam construction projects under the ADP have begun, and all MPAs and MNAs are active in their constituencies to ensure no effort is spared in protecting lives. She underlined that climate change is a reality and called for urgent measures to conserve water and safeguard people.
The minister clarified that schools in Lahore will reopen from Monday, while DCs in flood-hit areas will decide closures based on local conditions. She also said that Alkhidmat Foundation’s relief camps have not been removed; instead, the Chief Minister directed that any gaps in facilities at such camps should be filled.
