ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy’s relief operation underway in flood affected areas of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan Navy has immediately deployed hovercrafts for the evacuation of people stranded in floodwaters in the districts of Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur and Shikarpur.
These hovercrafts are capable of operating on land, water and in marshy areas.
Pakistan Navy has rescued and relocated 4,335 flood-affected individuals from the areas of Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur and Shikarpur to safe locations.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Navy has also established medical camps for flood victims in Swat, Buner and Shangla.
Pakistan Navy’s relief teams are also providing food supplies, medical aid and medicines to the flood-affected population.
The relief and rescue operation of Pakistan Navy is also ongoing in Kasur, Rajanpur, Dera Ismail Khan, Mirpur Khas, Sukkur, Sanghar and Sujawal.
Earlier, the Indian High Commission in Pakistan has issued another alert at 8am about “high flood” at Harike and Ferozepur on the Sutlej river, a notification by the water ministry says.
Floods in the Sutlej River have badly damaged the road network in Pakpattan district, leaving thousands of villagers cut off.
Around 20 main link roads and many smaller routes, covering more than 50 kilometres, are either submerged or destroyed. These roads connected over 60 villages, where nearly 40,000 daily commuters are now stranded.
Officials said that about 100,000 people have left their homes for safer places. More than 100,000 acres of farmland and 76 villages are affected, while 5,000 cattle have been recovered from floodwater.
Shahzad Hashim, Executive Engineer (EXEN) of the Highway Department, said that embankments along several key routes have been washed away. Roads from Noora Rath Bund to Abadi Haji Mahmood Rath, Kund Qabil, and other villages are destroyed. Many areas still have deep water, making travel impossible.
The district education authority has closed 30 government schools in Arifwala and Pakpattan tehsils. The closure, first announced for one week, has now been extended because of the high flood.
