Daily Times

Two Army helicopters joined rescue and relief operations in flood hit areas of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts of South Punjab on Monday, just a day after the Dera Ghazi Khan administration sought Army’s help for flood-stranded people for delivery of food items and tents.

Commissioner DG Khan Usman Anwar told media persons that aerial operation to provide aid to the stranded communities was necessary as the hill torrents had badly eroded the road communications infrastructure, making access by road nearly impossible to some areas.

He said that government has provided the helicopters which have started reaching out to the flood hit people making the relief operation swift adding that the process of sending relief items to people of Koh-e-Suleman by Border Military Police (BMP) and Baloch Levy through transport means of camels, motorcycles and other vehicles would continue.

The commissioner said that the inter-provincial Punjab-Balochistan highway had suffered closure due to land sliding that had made big and small rocks blocking the road at Rakhi Garj near Fort Monroe hill station. He said that heavy machinery was utilized to clear the road, however, the inter-provincial highway was again blocked due to land sliding.

Usman Anwar said that National Highway Authority (NHA) has promised assistance and clear the road as early as possible.

The commissioner appealed the people to give hill torrents a clear passage and do not build homes or cause encroachment on its way. Any hurdle would cause more damage, he said and urged the people to give safe passage to hill torrents to the river.

Meanwhile, Quetta Commander XII Corps Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor visited Hazara Town to review the flood situation and rescue activities.

Inspector General of Frontier Corps (IG FC) North Major General Amir Ajmal, Commissioner Quetta Sohail ur Rehman Baloch, Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (DG PDMA) Nasir Naseer, Deputy Commissioner Quetta Shehak Baloch, Member central council Daud Changezi and other respected members of Hazara town were also present.

Commander XII Corps reviewed the flood situation and relief activities in different areas of Hazara town and got involved in the people.

He was aware of the problems facing the area and the damage caused by the recent floods and assured all possible assistance.

On this occasion, they told the residents that the people affected by the flood would not be left alone by Pakistan Army and the public administration would always find themselves in this hour of difficulty.

General Asif Ghafoor reiterated the determination that the Pakistan Army would continue to support the flood victims as much as possible.

The relief and rescue operation by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) are also in full swing in flood affected areas of Balochistan, Sindh and South Punjab.

On Monday, the PAF rescue teams distributed 1,000 cooked food packets, 25 tents and 2,090 pounds of ration amongst the local populace in areas which have been badly hit by torrential rains spell and flash floods, a PAF news release said.

Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu has directed the respective branches of PAF to employ maximum efforts towards relief and rescue operations.

On the special instructions of the air chief, field medical camps of PAF were working day and night to provide all-out medical support to the flood affectees. The relief activities were underway with 239 patients being treated at PAF medical camps in last 24 hours. Additionally, a number of families have also been evacuated to safe areas by PAF emergency response teams.

Despite inclement weather conditions throughout the country especially in the flood stricken areas, PAF personnel are working hard to provide humanitarian assistance to flood affected people.