Daily Times

LAHORE: The district administration has sought a complete report from departments concerned highlighting the number of inhabitants likely to be affected from low and high flood, and also decided to conduct a fresh survey of inhabitants residing on both sides of River Ravi near Shahdara.

The decisions to this effect were taken at a meeting on pre-flood arrangements chaired by Lahore Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sumair Ahmed Syed and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Zahid Zaman here on Saturday. The meeting was informed that all pre-flood arrangements had been finalised, while the district administration was keeping a bird’s eye view on the flow of water in River Ravi.

A team comprising officials from the Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and the Irrigation Department will submit the report. Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Managing Director Syed Zahid Aziz, additional district collector (revenue), Model Town assistant commissioner, LDA director (admin) and others attended the meeting. Irrigation and Rescue 1122 officials briefed the meeting about pre-flood arrangements. Moreover, the chair was also told that emergency shelters had been identified to shift would-be flood victims.

Separately, presiding over another meeting the deputy commissioner directed officials concerned to conduct a fresh survey of dangerous buildings in the city. He instructed representatives of the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA) to issue notices to inhabitants staying in dangerous buildings. The meeting heard that as many as 99 buildings had been demolished, while 141 dangerous buildings had been repaired.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner has directed the Population Department to set up family planning awareness camps in remote areas of the city. Chairing a meeting of the Population Department here on Saturday, he said that the citizens should be made aware of family planning. District Officer (population) Aftab Awan briefed the deputy commissioner about awareness steps taken last month. He directed officials concerned to arrange a bicycle rally to spread the message of family planning among the citizens. He appealed to scholars and clerics to help create awareness about family planning among the citizens through their sermons.

Published in Daily Times, July 23^rd , 2017.