Severe Flooding Causes Over Rs63 Billion in Damages in Northern Pakistan

The federal government has compiled initial reports of damages from the recent floods in northern Pakistan, estimating losses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) at Rs63.79 billion, according to official sources.

Preliminary assessments indicate that rebuilding requirements in the three regions stand at Rs44.47 billion. Total destruction to infrastructure, housing, crops, and livestock has been valued at nearly $227 million. Officials noted that the figures remain provisional and are expected to increase as field surveys continue.

While KP, GB, and AJK have sustained major structural damage, Punjab has emerged as the province hardest hit in terms of agriculture. Floodwaters have engulfed 2.2 million acres of farmland, wiping out more than one million acres of rice and severely damaging sugarcane, corn, and cotton. Sugarcane crops planted over 2.5 million acres have been particularly devastated.

Authorities are reviewing proposals to support farmers in the worst-affected districts — including Hafizabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Gujarat, and Multan — through measures such as tax relief and waivers of irrigation fees.

In comparison, Sindh has reported only limited impact. Roughly 3% of its onion crop has been lost, with most floodwaters confined within riverbanks. Damage has largely been restricted to low-lying Kachha areas, sparing much of the province’s agricultural belt.

Source: Web Desk