Comprehensive Water Management Strategy Under Development

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Friday that a thorough plan is being formulated to construct water storage facilities and enhance water resource management across all provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB).

His statement comes as Pakistan grapples with intense monsoon rains that have caused severe flooding, overflowing rivers, and filled dams, resulting in over 840 fatalities since late June. Concurrently, India released surplus water from its dams, increasing river flows into Punjab.

Tragically, at least 22 individuals have lost their lives due to the flooding in Punjab, with numerous others injured and widespread infrastructure damage reported.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the construction of water reservoirs will be executed through collaborative discussions and complete coordination with the provincial governments.

The PM emphasized, “Climate change is a stark reality, and we can only mitigate the damages of natural disasters through robust preparedness measures.”

Furthermore, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of all provinces, AJK, GB, and the federal government working in unison to protect citizens from the detrimental impacts of climate change, defining it as a national imperative that demands collective action.

The statement further noted that work is already in progress, following the PM’s directives, to develop an effective policy for a timely response to the consequences of climate change and the monsoon season.

“The preliminary document of this policy will be shared with all provincial administrations to establish a unified course of action,” the statement added.

The Prime Minister intends to convene a high-level meeting with the chief ministers of all four provinces and the heads of relevant institutions once the emergency situation improves.

The prime minister of AJK and the chief minister of GB will also be invited to participate in this crucial session.

It is noteworthy that the NDMA reported Pakistan evacuated more than 210,000 residents near the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers that originate in India.

Previously, Pakistani officials confirmed that India issued its third flood warning since Sunday, this time concerning the Sutlej River, with the previous two warnings pertaining to water entering Pakistan via the Ravi River.