NDMA Working to Restore Connectivity in Flood-Affected Regions

Islamabad: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other government institutions are actively collaborating with provincial governments to coordinate relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas affected by the recent floods. Chairman of the NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, announced during a media briefing in Islamabad that efforts are underway to restore connectivity in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where roads and bridges have been significantly damaged.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister has directed that a relief consignment be immediately dispatched to districts that have experienced significant loss of life and displacement. The relief packages will include essential items such as rations, medicines, and tents to support those impacted by the floods.

Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik highlighted that the seventh monsoon spell currently affecting various regions across the country is expected to continue until the 22nd of this month. A subsequent weather system is anticipated to enter the country on the 23rd and persist until the 30th, bringing intensified rains. These monsoon spells are expected to continue unleashing downpours in different areas of Pakistan until the first 10 days of the following month.

He further stated that the repair of communication infrastructure, roads, and bridges will be prioritized once the monsoon season concludes. Earlier, NDMA officials presented a detailed monsoon contingency plan, identifying areas at greatest risk, including northeastern regions like Azad Jammu and Kashmir, central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and southeastern areas such as Tharparkar, Sujawal, Tando Allah Yar, Tando Muhammad Khan, and Badin, which are expected to receive heavier rains.

The briefing noted that three major weather systems are converging over Pakistan, which will further intensify monsoon activity. Officials reported that more than three hundred forty people have lost their lives due to flash flooding and landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The most vulnerable areas include the northern regions of Pakistan, northeastern Punjab, Salt Range, southern Punjab, Malakand and Hazara divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and central Balochistan.