LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other departments to take all precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the citizens in Bahawalpur, Lodhran and surrounding areas due to the threat of heavy rain and urban flooding.

He directed that safety measures be taken for the citizens of the areas at risk due to heavy rains while adding evacuation process should be started in extreme situations.

He also directed the NDMA to ensure rescue and aid to the people in the areas at risk of urban flooding.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) recorded 46 mm in Rain at Bahawalpur Airport and 60 mm in Bahawalpur City within two hours.Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman on Monday directed the deputy commissioners of Sargodha division to prepare emergency plans to

CS reviews projects initiated by CM in Sargodha division

deal with floods, urban flooding and hill torrents for their respective districts.

The chief secretary was visiting Sargodha to review the implementation of public welfare initiatives taken by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

He inspected different bazaars in the city, including Khushab Road and issued instructions regarding removal of encroachments and improvement in the traffic system.

The CS directed the administrative officers to permanently remove encroachments in cities and control the ‘unruly rickshaws’ without rendering anyone unemployed.

He said that to resolve the parking and encroachment issues in bazaars, the municipal corporation officials must be assigned regular duties.

He asked the DCs to remain in the field for at least two hours every day to improve the traffic system and supervise removal of encroachments.

Mr Zaman also inspected the Salwanali Road disposal station, where he was briefed by the municipal corporation chief officer about the sewerage system issue.

Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Ajmal Bhatti, DC Aurangzeb Haider Khan and Superintending Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Syed Solat Raza were also present.

Later, the CS presided over a meeting at the Commissioner’s Office, which was attended by the divisional commissioner, DCs and other administrative officials of Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali and Bhakkar.

The CS reviewed the progress on the public welfare initiatives in the four districts of the division and took briefings from the DCs on Suthra Punjab (Clean Punjab), price control, anti-polio drives, and revenue matters. He directed them to prioritise cleanliness, price control and anti-polio programmes by mobilising the ACs.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2024