MULTAN: Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif has suspended Assistant Commissioner (AC) Jalalpur after private boats overcharge flood victims.
During a press briefing in Lahore on flood situation and relief operation, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has stated that water levels at the province’s headworks are no longer critical.
She said, “The situation at the head Muhammad Wala and Shersha is under control”.
“Due to this development, the technical committee has not taken any decisions regarding further breaching,” she added.
“In the past three days, 3,628 people were evacuated from Multan, while the total number stands at 13,617,” the minister said.
Bukhari admitted that the“rescue response could have been more prompt.“ However, “to say the government was not present at all would be unfair,” she added.
Evacuations amid severe southern Punjab flood emergency
Earlier, PDMA DG Irfan Ali Kathia said food, water, and medical care await evacuees in relief camps. Police will assist families who are reluctant to leave because saving lives is the top priority.
The government has deployed more than 300 boats, 400 inflatable rafts, and thousands of life jackets across the affected districts.
The Army and Rescue 1122 are leading evacuations and helping plug weak points.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered emergency aid and set up a “Lost and Found Department” to record damages for compensation, a step that will speed up relief and recovery.
Rivers under pressure in southern Punjab and Sindh
The Chenab has crossed the 394.5-foot mark at Multan, forcing mass evacuations as water enters Basti Gagran Kachor, Mirza Pur, and Hasan Kachor.
However, heavy traffic is diverted through Vehari and Khanewal after roads near Sher Shah and Head Muhammadwala turned unsafe.
Pressure is mounting on Sher Shah Barrage and dykes, and a controlled breach is under review to protect critical structures.
Upstream releases from India have added stress on the Sutlej, pushing discharge at Head Panjnad to 530,000 cusecs, an extremely high flood.
Pakistan’s water agencies remain on high alert and are coordinating round the clock to shield communities.
Health risks as multiple contagious diseases rise
PDMA reports 2.1 million people displaced this monsoon and nearly two million acres under water, with cotton, maize, and sesame badly hit.
In Muzaffargarh, 138 villages are submerged and more than 135,000 people affected, while Rangpur reports 50,000 displaced. T
he Health Department has treated over 158,000 patients for respiratory, skin, eye, and diarrhoeal diseases, and has noted snakebite and dog bite cases in camps.
NDMA confirms 246 deaths in Punjab and a nationwide toll of 929.
Floodwaters are now rising in Sindh, where Guddu and Sukkur Barrages handle high flows as villages seek urgent rescue.
Also read: Sutlej, Chenab, Ravi Rivers surge to dangerous levels
