Minister for water and power Liaquat Ali Jatoi said on Tuesday that recent floods have affected 6,500 villages besides 7,08,000 acres of land including over 120,000 acres of cropped area.
This he said while chairing an important meeting held to review the prevailing flood situation with specific reference to unprecedented floods in Sindh and Balochistan on account of cyclonic activity in the Arabian Sea.
The meeting also decided to allocate funds, out of this year's approved Federal ADP, to immediate priority areas in the provinces requiring restoration/remodelling of flood protection work on an urgent basis and before the onset of next year's flood season.
The minister allocated funds out of his discretionary quota for priority projects of flood protection, identified by all the four provinces and Northern Areas.
According to a press statement, the minister stated that the recent floods in Balochistan and Sindh due to cyclonic activity and flash floods in NWFP, Northern Areas and Fata have resulted in substantial damages to private and public property besides losses to human life.
The Chairman, NDMA, Major General Farooq Ahmed (Retd), Chairman, FFC, and provinces briefed the meeting about the overall flood situation and steps taken to alleviate the suffering of the affected people. Elaborating the steps taken by the government, the minister stated that federal government through its concerned agencies including Pakistan Army has taken all necessary measures, like: rescue of affected population, provision of relief goods, medicine etc to promptly handle the natural disaster.
The minister advised the provinces to work out requirements for urgent and permanent flood protection work and submit the same to the federal government for allocation of more funds. He further advised Pakistan Meteorological Department to forward its flash flood prevention and weather radar projects besides additional radar system in the country to federal government for approval.
The DG Met Office informed the meeting about the weather forecasting and said that unusual rainfall is expected from 9th August to 11th of August, which may affect some parts of Balochistan and Southern parts of Sindh including Karachi, Thatta and Badin and Hyderabad.
Water Projects: The minister reviewed the progress of major water sector projects and directed Wapda that the projects should be completed within prescribed timeframe. He reviewed the progress of Neelam-Jhelum Hydropower project, Mangla Dam Raising project, Diamer-Basha dam project, Kachi Canal, Raini Canal, Sabakzai Dam, and Nai Gaj dam project.
It was informed that main embankment of Mangla dam raising will be completed by 30th April 2008. The work on Diamer-Basha dam and Kachi Canal is on schedule. Sabakzai dam will be ready for inauguration by August 15.
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