Shahbaz sends 23 truckloads of relief goods to Chitral

LAHORE: The Punjab government has sent the first consignment of 23 truckloads of relief items to flood affectees of Chitral on Monday. 

Talking to the media on the occasion of dispatch of the relief goods, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the government stood by affected people in the hour of trial besides undertaking relief activities in Punjab. He added that the first consignment, comprising 23 truckloads of relief goods including blankets, tents, ration packets and medicines, was being sent to the flood-hit people of Chitral.

The CM said the Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa government had also been offered all-out cooperation for the assistance of calamity-hit people. On the flood situation, the chief minister said relief activities were in full swing in flood affected areas and provincial ministers and secretaries had been assigned responsibilities in disaster areas while he was supervising relief and rehabilitation work.

Replying to a question on floodwater in Garh Maharaja, the chief minister said that the PPP government had made extremely poor planning for construction of a bridge on the River, as no protective spur was built near Garh Maharaja. He said that a special inquiry committee had been set up to fix responsibility for poor planning by NHA. He said the Punjab government had taken immediate measures for the protection of Garh Maharaja and hoped positive results would be achieved.

He said that flood affected people had been shifted to safer places and were being provided with food and other facilities. “Relief teams are working round the clock in Sialkot, Narowal, Badomalhi and other affected areas. After flood at Head Marala, 80 villages of Bajwat were cut off from other areas but the breach has been plugged and light traffic was moving. Relief camps have also been established in Sialkot besides the provision of transport, food and medicines to flood victim,” he added.

He said that elected representatives and administration were fully mobilised in the area. Replying to a query, the chief minister said that it was not possible at present to judge the volume of flood and compare it with that of 2010 and its scale would be determined after a complete survey.