{"id":12043,"date":"2025-08-30T13:35:26","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T08:35:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=12043"},"modified":"2025-08-30T13:35:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T08:35:27","slug":"punjab-government-declares-no-compensation-for-illegal-constructions-in-riverbeds-says-chief-secretary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=12043","title":{"rendered":"Punjab Government Declares: No Compensation for Illegal Constructions in Riverbeds, Says Chief Secretary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the wake of devastating floods across Punjab, the provincial government has taken a firm stance on illegal constructions along riverbanks and waterways. Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman<\/strong>, in a televised interview on Geo News\u2019 program \u201cNaya Pakistan\u201d<\/em>, announced that all encroachments and unauthorized structures within river channels will be demolished<\/strong>, and that no financial compensation will be provided<\/strong> to those who suffer losses due to such unlawful constructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Tough Stance Against Encroachments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to the Chief Secretary, the government has decided that all water passages must be cleared of encroachments to ensure the natural flow of rivers and canals during heavy rains and flooding. \u201cAny losses caused by illegal constructions within rivers will not be compensated,\u201d he emphasized, underlining that the policy aims to discourage people from endangering both themselves and others by building on vulnerable land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move comes after widespread flooding, exacerbated by continuous heavy rainfall and water inflows from India, which highlighted the dangers of obstructing waterways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CM Maryam Nawaz: Floods a Serious Challenge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz<\/strong> also weighed in on the crisis, acknowledging the severe challenge posed by three to four consecutive spells of rainfall combined with India\u2019s release of water<\/strong>. She stated that the province narrowly averted catastrophic losses thanks to extraordinary preparedness of rescue teams and the early warning system<\/strong>, which enabled timely evacuation and saved thousands of lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the first flood during my tenure as Chief Minister,\u201d Maryam Nawaz said, adding that she is committed to introducing comprehensive measures within a year to mitigate future disasters. \u201cBy next year, if floods come again, we will not face the same scale of destruction,\u201d she pledged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long-Term Flood Management Strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Maryam Nawaz further revealed that she has directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)<\/strong>, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA)<\/strong>, and her administrative team to design a robust flood-prevention plan<\/strong>. Key measures under consideration include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Construction of new dams and reservoirs<\/strong> to regulate water flow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Development of improved drainage and flood channels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Expansion of early warning systems<\/strong> for timely alerts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Comprehensive community-level evacuation strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    She stressed that whatever measures are necessary\u2014whether infrastructure development or policy reforms\u2014the government will take them to safeguard lives and property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Background: Why Illegal Constructions Are Targeted<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Experts have long warned that encroachments on rivers, canals, and nullahs<\/strong> exacerbate the intensity of floods. Structures built within water channels not only block the natural flow but also divert waters towards populated areas, magnifying destruction. Over the years, lax enforcement and political patronage allowed such illegal constructions to flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Punjab government\u2019s latest announcement signals a shift towards stricter enforcement, prioritizing public safety over appeasement of encroachers. However, critics argue that the state should also provide relocation plans<\/strong> and enforce preventive measures consistently, rather than waiting until disaster strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Punjab\u2019s decision reflects a growing recognition of climate challenges and the urgent need for disaster preparedness in South Asia. With climate change intensifying monsoon patterns<\/strong> and upstream water disputes with India remaining unresolved, the province faces a recurring threat of floods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The dual approach\u2014demolishing illegal encroachments while investing in long-term infrastructure like dams and reservoirs\u2014could mark a turning point in how Punjab manages floods. However, much will depend on consistent enforcement<\/strong>, transparent governance<\/strong>, and sustained political will<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In the wake of devastating floods across Punjab, the provincial government has taken a firm stance on illegal constructions along riverbanks and waterways. Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, in a televised interview on Geo News\u2019 program \u201cNaya Pakistan\u201d, announced that all encroachments and unauthorized structures within river channels will be demolished, and that no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","inline_featured_image":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12043"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12045,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12043\/revisions\/12045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}