PM Shahbaz orders rapid drainage of water from flood-hit areas

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to prevent the outbreak of vector-borne diseases, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif Wednesday directed the concerned authorities to expedite the dewatering of the flood-affected areas.

PM Shahbaz Sharif made the remarks while visiting the Suhbatpur district of Balochistan.

"Infectious diseases are spreading in the flood-affected areas. Controlling the outbreak is crucial," the premier said.

PM Shahbaz cautioned that dealing with disease outbreaks will become difficult if measures to limit the spread are not taken.

Appropriate steps should be taken for dewatering with the help of additional machinery and resources, he stressed.

Balochistan chief secretary, while briefing the prime minister on the ongoing efforts to deal with flood-related damages, said that 128 roads in the province were dilapidated, out of which 91 have been restored. He further stated that a plan of Rs11 billion has been worked out for livestock rehabilitation.

PM Shahbaz Sharif also ordered the district administration to immediately resolve the drinking water problems in Suhbatpur.

He directed the authorities concerned to ensure the availability of drinking water and life-saving medicines on priority in Suhbatpur’s area of Balochistan, severely damaged by floods.

The prime minister reviewed the relief arrangements and later addressed the flood victims in the area.

‘Two-months waiver of utility bills’

While addressing the flood affectees, PM Shahbaz Sharif announced a two-month waiver of water utility charges for the consumers residing in flood-affected areas all over the country.

He said the government would not charge the consumers in the flood-hit areas for the bills of August and September.

The prime minister said the waiver on water utility charges was aimed at facilitating the people heavily burdened by the challenges in the wake of the flood.

He also announced the continuation of the government’s facility in September to waive off Fuel Adjustment Charges for electricity consumers across the country on usage up to 300 units.

The premier further stated that the facility would be extended beyond the flood-relief areas, benefitting around 210 million consumers in the country.

Moreover, he said a mechanism would be established to revive the crops of wheat and cotton in the flood-affected areas.

In view of the scarcity of drinking water in Suhbatpur, he said, two trucks carrying bottled water would reach in the area by tonight (Wednesday) while 10 tonnes of the commodity would be available in the next two days.

He said that the coalition government along with the provincial government was making utmost efforts to provide relief to the people in flood-hit areas.

Serving the masses, he said, was the noblest deed "instead of indulging in politicking as done by some leaders" even in the grave flood situation.