Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), rescue cuppets and provincial administrations to remain in high alarm in the light of the recent heavy rain that has increased the risk of flooding over Pakistan.
In a statement from the Prime Minister’s office on Monday, Sharif emphasized the importance of immediate precautions, especially in areas bordering the Indus River and other major waterways where flooding is most likely.
“NDMA is to coordinate closely with provincial disaster management authorities (PDMAs) to ensure a quick and coordinated answer,” Sharif said. He also instructed NDMA to improve cooperation with provincial governments and relevant institutions to improve contingency and responsiveness efforts.
The premiere emphasized the need for public attention and urged all provincial administrations to continue robust information campaigns to keep citizens informed of the evolving situation. “Public attention is the key to preventing loss and injury,” he added.
Sharif also instructed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to secure real -time, accurate updates through all available communication channels, with a special focus on the potential risks of the operation of the Tarbela Dam Spillway, which could aggravate the flood of the flood.
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He also called on the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) to categorize vulnerable areas such as high, medium or low flood risks and communicate these risks clearly to the public through the media. “Early warnings are crucial to minimizing the impact of potential floods,” he noted.
Sharif concluded by instructing that all provincial administrations are fully prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any emergency.
This comes as parts of the country are facing increased flood risks after the recent rainfall, where authorities work tirelessly to reduce the threat of raised rivers and other bodies of water.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a nationwide warning warning that heavy to very heavy monsoon rain can lead to flash floods, landslides and urban floods in several districts in the coming days.
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Flash flood is expected in local nullahs and streams of Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Marra Bugti, Loralai, Bolan, Zhob, Ziarat, Kalat, Khuzdar, Awaran and Lasbela.
PMD said landslides and mud lids can cause road closures in vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir.
The city’s flood can occur in low -lying areas of Islamabad, Rawal Pindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera and Peshawar, warned the meteorological department.
