Punjab’s Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Sunday that devastating floods have affected nearly 2 million people across the province.
She noted that the current flood situation in the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers is unprecedented, adding that all government departments are engaged in saving lives. According to her, two million people have been impacted so far, with 750,000 evacuated to safer locations, including 300,000 currently in relief camps.
Aurangzeb said 115,000 people were rescued using boats, while more than 500,000 livestock were also shifted to safe areas. For the first time, drones and thermal surveillance have been used in rescue operations.
She stressed that due to timely decisions by the chief minister, including anti-encroachment measures, Punjab has been saved from greater human losses.
“Not a single life has been lost due to negligence,” she said, adding that the provincial government will assess damages and ensure compensation for affected families.
Aurangzeb further said medical camps and mobile clinics are operational in the field, and a dedicated flood media room has been set up to provide real-time information.
Highlighting climate change as a stark reality, she said Rs 40 billion have been allocated for water storage projects to better manage such disasters in the future. She added that more than 300,000 people have been rescued, and in Lahore, rainfall has exceeded 100 millimeters. Despite rising water levels in the Ravi River, she said not a single life has been lost.
“This is an extraordinary situation, an unprecedented flood,” she said. “It is a national calamity, and we must face it together.”
