LAHORE: Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari said on Monday that India has issued another flood alert to Pakistan after releasing additional water into the Sutlej River.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, she said Jhang, Sahiwal, Toba Tek Singh, Okara, and Bahawalpur have been placed on high alert for the next two days, as the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers are all facing flooding at the same time.
Bokhari confirmed that rescue and relief efforts are ongoing in the affected districts, while experts have described the current situation as a “super flood.”
She added that at least 37 people have lost their lives in Punjab, with more than 1.6 million affected in the Chenab belt and nearly 344,000 people relocated to safer areas.
“Livestock are also being rescued along with residents,” she said, noting that 510 roads have been damaged, covering 1,021 kilometers in total. So far, more than 50 roads have been restored, while repair work continues on 24 bridges.
Bokhari further stated that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has instructed officials to prepare a detailed report on encroachments and illegal housing schemes built along riverbeds once relief operations are complete. She clarified that the current government has not granted any NOCs to unauthorized societies.