Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Wednesday said the federal government had directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to jointly conduct a damage assessment survey of recent heavy rains and flash floods across the country.
All provincial governments and Pakistan Army would fully support the NDMA to conduct the survey to expedite the rescue and relief activities in the flood hit areas of the country, the minister said while addressing a press briefing along withe Chairman NDMA, Lt. General Akhtar Nawaz here.
The minister said with the provinces, the NDMA would conduct a joint survey with the help of all provinces to assess the real damage incurred to the houses and the people across the country.
For this purpose, he said the federal government had offered every type of support to the provinces without any political differences.
Further he said that after the survey, the presentation of the total losses would be presented to the multilateral partners such as World Bank to receive help from the international institutions.
Chairman NDMA said some 630 people had been died and 1130 people were injured until now 630 people died, 1130 people inured due to recent rains and flash floods. Moreover, he said 1.087 million people were directly or indirectly affected from the rains, 72,500 houses were damaged and 1.011 million animals were affected.
This year, he said on average, the country faced 150% more than average rainfall. Balochistan was the worst hit province which received 280% more rains followed by Sindh that received 228% extra rains.
However he said Kashmir received less than average rainfall during the Monsoon season.
He informed that 98% of Tarbela Dam had been filled to its capacity while only 38% of Mangla dam had so far been filled due to less rains in the catchment areas.
The NDMA Chairman maintained that three districts of Balochistan including Lasbela, Jhal Magsi and Jafarabad were badly hit by the rains, three from Punjab including Mianwali, DG Khan, Rajanpur, three from Sindh including Dadoo, Sajawal and Thatha, and four from KP including DI Khan, Tank, Laki Marwat, Kohistan and Charsada.
He said the information given were based on the initial assessment while the final and accurate assessment would be ascertained after the joint damage assessment survey.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the country was facing unprecedented heavy rains across the country especially in Balochistan.
He said the pattern of rainfall was changing due to climate change and the pattern impacted Balochistan, Southern KPK and Punjab and some areas of North Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan. Mangla dam, he said could not filled to its capacity due to less rains in the catchment areas of the dam.
Ahsan Iqbal said Prime Minister had formed a special committee comprising of federal government representatives and ministers to assess the real damage during the recent rains and flash floods.
Under his direction, the minister informed that the affected people were being given Rs one million each and 80 percent people had been compensated so far. A special package has also been decided by the PM for Balochistan, he added.
He said the people who fall under BISP criteria would be given emergency package under which food and other necessities would be provided.
