Poonch: Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs Javed Ahmed Rana on Saturday visited Dhara Sangla in Surankote and interacted with families affected by the recent landslides and flash floods, as part of his ongoing tour of flood- and landslide-hit areas in the Pir Panjal region.
The visit was aimed at assessing the ground situation, reviewing relief and restoration efforts, and ensuring timely assistance to affected residents.
Rana expressed condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the disaster and assured them that the government would extend all possible support during the recovery process. He said relief, rehabilitation assistance and compensation would be provided to eligible affected families and reiterated that the government was committed to restoring normalcy at the earliest.
The Minister was accompanied by Surankote MLA Choudhary Mohammad Akram and officers from various departments.
During his tour, Rana has been visiting some of the worst-hit villages and remote habitations to assess damage to houses, roads, drinking water schemes, irrigation infrastructure and agricultural land. He also reviewed the progress of relief and rehabilitation works being undertaken by the district administration and line departments.
Reviewing the restoration of essential services, Rana directed officials to ensure prompt assessment of losses so that genuine cases are processed without delay and eligible families receive relief and compensation in a timely manner. He stressed that the relief process should remain people-centric and responsive to the needs of those affected.
Emphasising the need for long-term disaster preparedness, the Minister instructed officials to identify landslide- and flash flood-prone areas and prepare comprehensive plans for permanent protective works to safeguard lives, property and public infrastructure.
He also directed the concerned departments to restore damaged roads, drinking water schemes, power infrastructure and other public utilities on a war footing to minimise hardship for the affected population, while reiterating that the government would continue to closely monitor the situation until normalcy is fully restored.
