Peshawar – In a video statement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur detailed the massive relief and rehabilitation actions the provincial government has initiated in response to a series of catastrophic cloudbursts and torrential rains that started on August 15.
The natural calamity that has hit hard the districts of Buner, Swat, Shangla, Bajaur, Mansehra, and Swabi has caused extensive damage and a considerable humanitarian cost.
The Chief Minister said that the first flooding and the cloudbursts caused many accidents, and official statistics prove that 406 people died and 245 suffered injuries.
The damage to infrastructure has been enormous, with 664 houses being completely demolished, and 2,431 partially damaged. Also, 511 roads and 77 bridges were impassable, and 2,123 shops were damaged.
Rapid Response and Rescue Operations
Chief Minister Gandapur said that the government acted swiftly and decisively. “On the morning of August 15, we went into action immediately. Departments, district administration, and rescue agencies were mobilized as soon as the cloudburst was announced at Bajaur,” he said.
This quick mobilization of resources, such as rescue teams and district officials, was replicated in other affected districts. The early response of rescue teams, departments, and district administration officials resulted in the rescue of 5,566 individuals and the recovery of 430 corpses.
In order to make relief and rescue possible, 176 vehicles and boats were deployed to different affected regions, and 2,061 rescue workers were deployed in total. The provincial government has been working around the clock to restore connectivity, and 136 roads and 65 bridges have been repaired and made functional.
Immediate relief work has been centered on delivering basic supplies to the affected people. Food packages were given to 119,000 people, and 125 truckloads of supplies were delivered to the affected areas. 70 medical camps have also been set up to offer medical attention to the injured, as well as to prevent diseases.
Enhanced Compensation and Financial Relief
To offer support, the compensation payment will be increased to 20 lakhs on death, whereas the compensation payment for the injured will be increased to 10 lakhs. The government has initiated a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the shop owners whose shops were wholly destroyed and Rs 1 lakh for those whose shops were damaged due to the flood. Losses to crops, gardens, and livestock are also being compensated.
To date, 350 deceased individuals have received Rs 654 million in payment to their families. The rest of the payments are pending in cases with minors or people whose families have yet to be made. In this regard, special accounts are being opened in the names of the respective Deputy Commissioners that benefit these children.
Besides, 18 injured people have been paid a total of Rs 90 lakh, with the remaining cases still in the process. To make compensation clean, transparent, and easy, a digital payment system has been introduced by the government.
Long-Term Rehabilitation and Future Preparedness
Chief Minister Gandapur has given a deadline of Sunday before the concerned authorities can fully settle all the compensation payments. Two secretary-level officers have been allocated special duties over the Hazara and Malakand Divisions in order to have timely and effective relief. Other medical personnel and mobile units are also deployed.
The provincial government has resolved to contribute the salaries of the cabinet members, assembly members, and government workers as a sign of solidarity to the special account that was opened in the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to ensure transparency and accountability. To date, 6.5 billion has already been issued on relief and rehabilitation efforts, with another 5 billion to be disposed of in due course.
The Chief Minister himself and the Chief Secretary are following up on the relief and rehabilitation operations. According to Gandapur, we aim to put the victims back on their feet as soon as possible and their normal life as normal by repairing the damaged infrastructure. He put the stress on restoring houses of those who have lost them and compensating 100 percent of the victims of losses.
The government is also thinking of permanently moving part of the communities into flood-prone regions to avoid the recurrence of the tragedy in the future. Gandapur ended by offering to the people of Punjab, who were affected by the floods, that the KP government was available to offer any help that they required.
Also See : Punjab Faces Unprecedented Flood Crisis as Major Rivers Swell
