Flood situation was created in Punjab due to extraordinary rains:Mian Yawar Zaman

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Irrigation Mian Yawar Zaman has said that there is a need for increasing the existing capacity of canal structure comprising barrages and head works for minimizing flood losses. He said that flood situation was created due to heavy rains during the current year, however, Irrigation Department took timely measures and saved the canal system.

He said this while addressing a 2-day seminar regarding flood management arranged by Irrigation Department at a local hotel today. Secretary Irrigation Punjab Saif Najam, Additional Secretary Irrigation Syed Haider Iqbal, Additional Secretary (Technical) Khalid Hussain Qureshi, Chief Engineer Drainage & Flood Muhammad Younis Bhatti, Member ARSA Rao Irshad Ali Khan, Commissioner Indus Water Treaty Mirza Asif Baig, General Manager PIDA Afzal Anjam Toor, Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Riaz, Chief Monitoring Habib Ullah Bodila as well as representatives of WAPDA, NESPAK, International Water Management Institute and senior officers of Irrigation Department were present on the occasion.

The Minister said that flood situation was created in Punjab due to extraordinary rains this year, however, as a result of timely measures taken by Irrigation Department, the canal structure was saved. He said that Irrigation Department officers and field staff performed their duties efficiently and their coordination was exemplary. He said that on the instructions of Chief Minister Punjab, all government departments finalized their pre-flood arrangements while he personally supervised protective measures and relief activities so that human losses and damage to property could be minimized. He further said that 16 districts of Punjab were affected by flood this year from where drainage of water completed under the supervision of Secretary Irrigation.

Mian Yawar Zaman asked the participants to submit proposals in the light of their experiences so that besides protection from flood damages, effective steps could also be taken for increasing existing capacity of canal structure. He said that a comprehensive strategy should immediately be evolved for coping with the flood situation so that coming generations could be saved from flood losses. He appreciated the interest of participants in the seminar. Later, irrigation engineers presented problems due to flood and their solution.