ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced $3 million in emergency aid for Pakistan to help cope with floods.
The funds will be used for the rehabilitation of families affected by floods, the bank said.
ADB President Masato Kanda expressed sorrow over the loss of lives caused by heavy rains and flooding.
He said the funds will be provided from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund.
Here’s the English translation in clear news style:
28 deaths reported in Punjab floods, says PDMA
Meanwhile, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director-General Irfan Ali Kathiya has said that the ongoing floods have claimed at least 28 lives in Punjab.
He said that for the first time in Punjab’s history, three major rivers are simultaneously in flood.
A flood peak of 1.05 million cusecs passed through Khanki and Qadirabad.
In Jhang, authorities made a timely decision to breach the Rewas railway bridge, diverting the flow and saving Jhang city. Between 100,000 and 150,000 cusecs of floodwater passed through Rewas, which is now moving towards Head Trimmu, where water pressure is currently rising.
Flood situation in River Ravi
Meanwhile, the PDMA has also released fresh figures for water flow in the Ravi River.
At Siphon, 160,515 cusecs of water are passing, while at Shahdara, the flow has reached 159,847 cusecs.
At Jassar, the flow in Ravi stands at 82,140 cusecs, according to the PDMA.
With another monsoon starting to affect upper Pakistan, Chenab and two eastern rivers – Ravi and Sutlej — continued devastating more areas, especially farmland in Punjab, once known as the food basket of entire Subcontinent, on Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, the authorities had warned of another possible alarming development — heavy rains in the catchment areas triggering flood in Jhelum.
Read more: NDMA warns of heavy rains in Jhelum catchment areas
The Ravi River has been witnessing a decline in water level from Jassar to Shahdara (Lahore) during the last 12 to 36 hours depending on the location but an increase at Balloki Headworks in Kasur and other downstream areas.