Infra damage due to floods pegged at Rs 20 billion in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Peshawar, Aug 21 (PTI) Government infrastructures suffered losses worth Rs 20 billion due to torrential rains, coupled with floods and cloud bursts that struck parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan, an official report said Thursday.

The province has been the worst flood-ravaged across the country with the death toll reaching 380 since August 15.

The Communication and Works (C&W) Department submitted its initial assessment report on damages caused due to recent heavy rains and floods to the Chief Minister Amin Ali Gandapur earlier in the day.

At least 603 government properties across 20 departments were damaged, the report said. The major hit was Battagram district that saw 214 properties destroyed, followed by Swat with 97, Bajaur with 65 and Mansehra with 58 properties damaged among others.

The destroyed properties included 37 schools, 83 roads and 10 bridges. Irrigation infrastructure bore the heaviest blow, with 226 channels and 68 water supply schemes left unusable. The Irrigation Department alone reported losses of more than Rs 10.3 billion, the report said.

The other departments that suffered damages and losses include C&W Department (Rs 3.4 billion), the Education Department (Rs 1.4 billion) and the Public Health Engineering Department for which the loss was estimated at Rs 21.7 million. Across Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said as of Wednesday 750 people, including 457 men, 113 women and 180 children, have died in monsoon-related incidents since June 26. Another 978 people were injured.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province accounted for the maximum deaths at 447, followed by Punjab 165, Sindh 40, Balochistan 23, Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) 67 and Islamabad capital region eight, the NDMA added. PTI AYZ SKS SKS NPK NPK