LAHORE: Senior Punjab Minister Maryam Aurangzeb has confirmed that the death toll from the devastating floods in Punjab has risen to 56.
Briefing the media in Lahore, the minister said that the floods have destroyed crops on 1.496 million acres of land. She added that since August 22, over 2.2 million people have been moved to safe locations under one of the largest rescue operations in the province’s history.
Aurangzeb said that 4,155 villages across Punjab are under water. These include 1,957 villages along the Chenab River, 1,477 along the Ravi, 625 along the Sutlej, and 96 villages along the Indus. The floods in the Indus alone have affected more than 244,000 people.
The minister said that 494 medical camps and 413 relief camps are operational around the clock. In addition, more than 1,000 field hospitals, mobile maternal health units, and clinics on wheels are active in flood-hit areas. For livestock, more than 500 veterinary camps have been established.
Aurangzeb said that 1.6 million animals have been shifted to safe locations. Victims are being provided with food, clean drinking water, insulin, and essential medicines. Anti-mosquito spraying is underway to prevent the outbreak of epidemics. Extra machinery and staff have been deployed in the worst-hit cities.
The minister stressed that the government is continuously monitoring the flow of rivers and adjusting strategy to keep communities safe. She said the rescue and relief mission, led by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is the largest and fastest in the province’s history.
