PM Seeks Urgent Dams Construction to Counter Floods

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stressed the urgent need to expand water storage capacity to mitigate the devastating effects of flash floods, which have claimed more than 800 lives since late June.

Chairing a high-level meeting to review the flood situation, the premier said work on new water reservoirs must begin without delay.
“Storage capacity is the need of the hour, and without wasting any more time, we should start work in this regard,” he remarked, adding that Pakistan would have to mobilise its own resources for such projects.

He also pressed for the speedy completion of ongoing schemes, including the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, terming them vital to protect lives, livelihoods, and agriculture from future disasters.

Pakistan is currently battling torrential monsoon rains that have triggered flash floods, swollen rivers, and filled dams across the country. Officials said India released excess water this week from its dams, intensifying flows downstream into Punjab. Earlier, New Delhi issued three flood warnings for Pakistan since Sunday — two for the Ravi and the latest for the Sutlej.

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According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), more than 210,000 villagers were evacuated from vulnerable areas near the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.

PM Shehbaz noted that while the floods initially hit the north, they were now wreaking havoc in Punjab’s plains. He offered prayers for the victims and lauded the “exemplary cooperation” between Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the NDMA, Pakistan Army, and provincial departments, which he said had helped minimise losses.

Recalling the 2022 floods, which primarily struck Sindh and Balochistan, the prime minister warned that Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change placed it among the world’s ten most affected countries, making such disasters more frequent. He urged departments to adopt short-, medium-, and long-term strategies for preparedness and resilience.

During the meeting, CM Maryam Nawaz expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, crops, and infrastructure but stressed that no deaths had occurred due to negligence. She credited the NDMA, PDMA, police, civil defence, and the army for rescuing over 50,000 people and ensuring timely evacuations through an effective early warning system.

She highlighted that 200km of roads had been damaged and directed immediate restoration of temporary routes to maintain connectivity. She also announced the deployment of field hospitals and 1,000 mobile clinics to flood-hit areas, with special focus on women, children, and the elderly.

Meanwhile, NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider gave a detailed briefing on the flood situation in Punjab.