NAROWAL: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the urgent need to build more water storage infrastructure to reduce the impact of devastating floods in Pakistan.
The country is facing heavy monsoon rains that have caused flash floods, swollen rivers, and filled major dams. More than 800 people have died since late June. The situation worsened when India released excess water from its dams this week, pushing river levels higher in Punjab.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), over 210,000 villagers have been evacuated from low-lying areas near the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers. India has already issued three flood warnings since Sunday, the latest concerning rising water in the Sutlej.
During a high-level meeting to review the crisis, the prime minister said that expanding the country’s storage capacity was critical to preventing future disasters. He called for immediate work on new projects and for speedy completion of existing ones, including the Diamir Bhasha Dam.
“Storage capacity is the need of the hour, and without wasting time, we should start work,” he said, adding that Pakistan must generate resources on its own to fund these initiatives.
PM Shehbaz noted that the floods first struck the northern regions but have now spread to Punjab’s plains. He expressed sorrow for the loss of lives and praised the coordinated efforts of the Punjab government, NDMA, Pakistan Army, and civil departments for rescue and relief operations.
He recalled the 2022 floods that mainly hit Sindh and Balochistan, warning that Pakistan remains among the ten countries most at risk from climate change. He urged all institutions to strengthen preparedness and adopt both short- and long-term strategies.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also addressed the meeting. She said that no deaths occurred due to negligence and highlighted the timely evacuations that saved over 50,000 people. She added that livestock losses were kept minimal due to quick action and effective early warnings.
For more on how the government is handling major institutional changes, read this follow-up post on the Utility Stores closure and the approved Rs30.2 bn grant.
