CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif visits flood-hit Gujrat to review relief and rescue efforts

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Friday continued her visits to flood-affected areas for the tenth consecutive day, reaffirming her government’s commitment to stand with the victims and ensure uninterrupted relief operations, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The Chief Minister reached the flood relief camp established at Government College in Jalalpur Jattan, where she conducted an aerial survey of submerged areas and reviewed the arrangements made for displaced families. She inspected the livestock counter, mobile veterinary vans, and health facilities while being briefed on the extent of damage.

Officials informed her that 95 villages and more than 23000 people in Gujrat district had been affected by the floods, prompting the establishment of twenty relief camps across the region.

So far, over 2200 people have been rescued, with nearly 400 shifted to safe shelters, while more than 3000 flood-hit patients have received treatment at medical camps. Relief supplies including food packets, ration bags, flour, fodder, and other essentials are being distributed regularly. Livestock has also been given special attention, with nearly fifteen hundred animals shifted to safe areas and thousands vaccinated against disease. Ten clinics-on-wheels and the newly introduced “clinics on boats” have been mobilized to provide medical treatment in cut-off areas. Meanwhile, twenty-one roads in flood-affected regions were reported damaged, out of which fifteen have already been restored.

At the Shahbazpur Flood Relief Tent City, the Chief Minister met with families whose houses and livelihoods were destroyed. Sitting inside tents, she interacted warmly with women and children, handing out gifts and offering words of comfort. In a touching moment, she personally accompanied an elderly diabetic patient to the field hospital and directed staff to immediately provide insulin, glucometers, and other essential medicines. She also consoled a young man who had lost his house and an elderly villager who had seen his livestock swept away by the floods, assuring them of full government support in their rehabilitation and house reconstruction.

Addressing the victims, Maryam Nawaz said that surveys to assess damages were beginning and remedial measures would be taken swiftly. She assured families that houses would be rebuilt even beyond waterways and that clean drinking water, food, and fodder for livestock would continue to be provided. She directed officials to set up tents wherever displaced families were sitting and to ensure that no one was left without shelter and essentials.

The Chief Minister praised the role of technology in saving lives during the disaster, highlighting the deployment of twenty-four thermal imaging drones by Safe City teams, which had successfully rescued fifty-five stranded people and fifty-seven cattle. She congratulated field rescue workers, addressed them via wireless communication, and reiterated her earlier announcement of rewards for their dedicated service. Maryam Nawaz also inspected the Shahbazpur Bridge and visited the rescue boat squad in the river, appreciating their tireless efforts. She lauded the “Clinic on Boats” project, calling it a lifesaving innovation for communities cut off by floodwaters.

“I am happy that lives have been saved through thermal imaging technology. The spirit of serving the people in these trying times is truly commendable. Don’t worry, I am with you,” Maryam Nawaz reassured the flood victims during her visit.