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August 29, 2025

PM calls for urgent water storage projects, collective efforts to curb flood devastation

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Staff Report

August 29, 2025

PM calls for urgent water storage projects, collective efforts to curb flood devastation
  • Premier Shehbaz chairs high-level meeting in Narowal to review Punjab flood situation
  • Stresses storage capacity and dams vital to protect lives, livelihoods, saying Diamer-Bhasha Dam among projects to be expedited
  • Praises Punjab CM, NDMA, Army and civil agencies for rescuing 50,000 people, terming climate change among top threats

NAROWAL: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stressed the urgent need to build additional water storage infrastructure to reduce the devastation caused by flash floods and safeguard lives and livelihoods.

Chairing a high-level meeting in Narowal to review the flood situation, the prime minister said enhancing storage capacity was critical and 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 emphasized.

Highlighting the importance of mobilizing resources for new dams and reservoirs, he said Pakistan must rely on its own means. He also called for the speedy completion of ongoing projects, including the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, to shield the country from future disasters.

The prime minister noted that while the floods first hit northern areas, they were now wreaking havoc in Punjab’s plains. Offering prayers for those who lost their lives, he praised the coordinated rescue and relief efforts of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the NDMA, Pakistan Army, and civil departments. “This spirit of cooperation has helped minimize losses,” he remarked.

Recalling the 2022 floods that devastated Sindh and Balochistan, Shehbaz Sharif warned that Pakistan remains among the ten most climate-vulnerable countries, making preparedness vital. He urged all departments to adopt short-, medium-, and long-term strategies through robust decision-making.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, crops, and infrastructure but stressed that no deaths occurred due to negligence or mismanagement. She lauded NDMA, PDMA, police, civil defense, and the Army for rescuing over 50,000 people and carrying out timely evacuations through an effective early warning system. She also noted minimal livestock losses owing to swift operations.

With parts of a Gurdwara inundated, she ordered immediate drainage and directed the activation of field hospitals, the deployment of 1,000 mobile clinics, and adequate vaccine supplies to flood-hit areas. She instructed that women, children, and the elderly be prioritized in rescue efforts.

Maryam Nawaz also highlighted that 200 km of roads had been damaged and ordered the restoration of temporary routes to maintain connectivity. She reiterated the need to store maximum water and reduce wastage while focusing on long-term rehabilitation.

Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal raised concerns about climate change, noting that Pakistan suffers greater losses than neighboring India due to weaker infrastructure. He said village connectivity had been severely disrupted, requiring bulldozers and heavy machinery for road clearance and medical access in coming days.

Iqbal emphasized rehabilitation, urging agricultural banks to provide concessional loans to flood-affected farmers to help them rebuild and achieve self-reliance.

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

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