By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday personally visited flood-hit areas of Sialkot and Wazirabad to review rescue and relief operations, meet affected families, and direct authorities for immediate rehabilitation measures.
Read also:CM Maryam launches flood relief operation, vows complete rehabilitation of victims
The Chief Minister first reached Sambrial Airport Chowk in Sialkot, where she was briefed by Deputy Commissioner Saba Asghar Ali on the scale of flooding and the administration’s ongoing response. She praised the district administration, rescue teams, and field officers for their tireless efforts in rescuing stranded citizens and providing emergency relief.
Later, Maryam Nawaz travelled to Sohdra in Wazirabad where she visited a flood relief camp set up in a local school. There, she sat among the flood victims, listened to their grievances, and assured them of full government support until complete rehabilitation.
In a deeply emotional moment, the Chief Minister met parents of children who had drowned in the floods. She embraced the grieving mother of 22-year-old Chand and consoled his father with words of comfort. Maryam Nawaz also met young men who had saved lives during the floods and appreciated their bravery, calling them “true heroes of the nation.”
Displaying compassion, the Chief Minister sat on the floor alongside the affected families and personally served them food. She offered meals with her own hands to children and women at the camp, insisting they eat despite their grief. In one particularly touching gesture, she persuaded the bereaved mother of Chand to eat a few bites, assuring her of the government’s continued support.
Maryam Nawaz also ordered a door-to-door survey to assess losses to homes, crops, and livestock. She directed immediate arrangements for dry fodder to save cattle in affected areas and instructed that all flood victims should receive cooked meals three times a day until they were safely rehabilitated.
The Chief Minister inspected a medical camp where essential medicines and healthcare facilities had been arranged, and she also reviewed veterinary services for livestock. According to officials, 13 mobile health clinics are operating round-the-clock in flood-affected areas. Relief supplies such as food items and baby products, including diapers, were also distributed among victims.
Deputy Commissioner Navid Ahmed Sheikh briefed the Chief Minister that 50 people trapped in completely inundated areas were rescued by army helicopters, while 30 dewatering pumps were functioning round-the-clock to drain floodwater. The briefing revealed that 66 villages in Sohdra were fully submerged and 120 partially affected. About 61,000 people were shifted to safety, while partial evacuation covered another 129,000 people. Nearly 25,000 cattle were also relocated to higher ground.
The Chief Minister emphasized that legislators must remain present among the public during this crisis. She urged elected representatives to support relief measures and engage directly with communities. Maryam Nawaz instructed the administration to finalize damage assessments quickly so that compensation could reach victims without delay.
Meanwhile, Punjab government officials reported that more than 20,000 people had been safely evacuated from flood-hit areas in the past 24 hours, with 9,646 individuals transported by rescue teams. A total of 729 boats and 2,897 rescuers participated in the operation. Evacuations took place in Theme Park, Mohlanwal, Muridwal, Farukhabad, Shafiqabad, Afghan Colony, New Metro City, and Chuhang area, while relief efforts continued at Talat Park in Babu Sabu.
Rescue officials noted that Park View Housing Society in Lahore had also been inundated in four blocks, but residents were safely evacuated and shifted to relief camps. Over 70 people were being sheltered at Lachi Wali School camp, while hundreds of families were being provided food and medical facilities at Chuhang Thokar relief camp.
Officials further briefed that the water level in River Ravi had reached its highest-ever recorded mark, with 220,000 cusecs passing Shahdara during the past seven hours. Despite the scale of disaster, timely rescue and evacuation had prevented large-scale casualties.
Separately, residents of Ferozewala and Sheikhupura expressed gratitude to the provincial government for building protective embankments that saved hundreds of lives, livestock, and farmlands from devastation. They thanked Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for taking immediate preventive measures against the flood torrent.
Appealing to the people in vulnerable regions, Maryam Nawaz urged citizens to cooperate fully with the administration and move to safer areas without delay. “The lives of you and your children are our first priority,” she said. “We are conducting transparent surveys of damage to homes, crops, and livestock, and every victim will receive their rightful compensation. This is my promise to Punjab.”
The Chief Minister vowed that no affected family would be left without help and that the government’s relief operations would continue until full rehabilitation was achieved.
