DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Chief Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam(JUI-F) Maulan Fazl Rehman(JUI-F) on Wednesday underlined the need to construct more small dams to overcome floods in future.
Addressing a reception held here in honour of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif at Saggu Bridge here, the JUI-F Chief said there was a need to find out solutions that help overcome such flooding issue on permanent basis, and in this regard, he was of the view small dams such as TankZam Dam, Chaudwan Zam, Darabaz Zam and Nawab Haider Zam should be constructed.
He said these dams would help safeguard residential areas from flooding which had currently wreaked havoc with infrastructure, properties and claimed a number of people in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank.
The government had already taken steps in this direction and had constructed a Gomal Zam Dam but it was a mega project and the area still needed more dams like Tank Zam dam which would be a medium-level reservoir and the rest would be small ones.
He also appreciated the officials of the National Highway Authorities(NHA) that played a great role in rehabilitation of damaged roads, enabling authorities concerned to transport relief goods to flood-affected people, he added.
He also referred to devastation caused by the recent flooding in Swat and Kohistan districts and MeaulanaFazl Rehman said that ferocious torrents left trail of destruction with villages inundated, infrastructure destroyed and a number of people of killed in these districts including Dera Ismail Khan and Tank.
He said that the administration had to cut roads to divert flood water from residential areas in the Dera Ismail Khan district and flood waters inundated areas around Chashma Right Bank Canal(CRBC) and airport area.
Similarly, floodwaters also entered Mufti Mehmood Hospital which was one of major hospitals of Dera Ismail Khan district, leaving patients and their attendants in great trouble. He also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for taking concrete measures for relief and rehabilitation work at flood-affected areas and also appreciated the role of the Pakistan army that provided helicopter service to reach out to the flood-affected people at far-flung areas to deliver food and relief items.
He also highlighted services of all organizations that carried out relief and rescue work and added that “we are still busy providing food-affected people cooked foods and cash and other necessary relief items.”
He said at certain places people had to flee their houses without belongings and they had requested for clothes and shoes. But now that problem ahead was to provide them shelters where they could live amid all basic necessities of life.
He also pointed out that floodwaters also swept away a truck and his driver at Saggu bridge and they were yet to be recovered. He sought help from the authorities concerned to mobilize resources to find out the truck and driver.