Satellite data to be utilized for measuring crop damage in Pakistan, aiming to provide financial assistance to farmers post Punjab floods

Flood Disaster Hits Kasur District in Pakistan's Punjab Province

A massive flood disaster has hit the Kasur district in eastern Punjab, Pakistan, affecting around 127 villages and displacing over 45,000 people. The floodwaters, which began on Monday, have caused extensive damage to rice fields, fodder crops, and entire settlements, and have swept away livestock.

The floodwaters have submerged rice fields in Kasur up to 13 feet deep, marking one of the worst floodings in nearly four decades. The disaster was caused by India releasing water into the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, leading to a powerful floodwave that broke an embankment on the Indian side of the Sutlej, causing the floodwaters to spill into Pakistan.

81 rescue teams are operating in the area, helping to evacuate residents and save over 4,500 animals. Medical camps have been established in advance and medicine stocks have been dispatched to vulnerable areas. However, some evacuees at a camp in District Public School have developed scabies and diarrhea, highlighting fears of water-borne diseases.

People are still moving out of their villages near Ganda Singh Headworks with livestock. Ismail Ahmad, an uprooted villager, left three men behind to take care of his animals. Most of the evacuated people prefer to stay with their relatives for a few days until the flood is over.

Authorities have plans for large-scale rehabilitation once the rivers recede, as stated earlier by the Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique. He also mentioned that satellite imagery will be used to assess crop losses. The satellite imagery will provide information on which fields were affected by the floodwaters. The organization used to assess the destruction of rice fields in Kasur due to floods and to organize compensation for the farmers is the local government disaster management authority, often in coordination with the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

Based on the satellite data, farmers will be compensated for their crop losses. The evacuation was due to the powerful floodwaters breaking an embankment on the Indian side of the Sutlej. The flooding in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province began on Monday.

Despite the ongoing crisis, efforts are being made to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those affected. The authorities are working tirelessly to provide aid and support to the displaced people, and to rehabilitate the affected areas once the floodwaters recede. Large-scale rehabilitation will only begin once the rivers recede, offering hope for the future.

Satellite data to be utilized for measuring crop damage in Pakistan, aiming to provide financial assistance to farmers post Punjab floods