ISLAMABAD: Survey teams are working in the flood-affected districts of all the provinces to quantify the scale of losses by the unprecedented rains in the country.

Sources privy to the matter said that a presentation submitted to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance revealed that average annual monsoon rainfall in Pakistan during the last 30 years was 137.3mm but this year (2022) monsoon rainfall was 399.1mm, up by 190.68 percent with highest increase of 464 percent in Sindh, followed by 436 percent increase in Balochistan, 130.77 percent in Gilgit-Baltistan, 89.18 percent in Punjab, and 44.62 percent in KP, and 2.16 percent in AJ&K increase from average.

There are 23 teams working in 30 districts of Balochistan, four teams in six districts of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and these are expected to complete the survey in GB by 20th September and Balochistan by 25th September. The government would decide about announcing the damage compensation following completion of the survey.

In addition, survey teams are also working in the districts of Punjab to complete the survey by 30th September and in KP by 15th October 2022, whereas, joint survey would be started in Sindh as soon as practically possible most probably from 25th September 2022.

As per details Rs23.6 billon cash assistance has been disbursed among the flood victims till 13th September 2022.

Cash assistance disbursement details up to 13th September 2022 showed that BISP has completed disbursement of Rs2.915 billion among the affected families in Balochistan, Rs2.93 billion in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Rs3.715 billion in Sindh and Rs14.101 billion in Punjab.

Data showed that 1.753 houses were damaged, 908,137 livestock affected, whereas, 12,418 kilometres length roads were affected, and 390 bridges were damaged. Calamity-hit districts included 32 in Balochistan, 17 in KP, three in Punjab, 23 in Sindh, and six in GB.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022