Punjab’s Minister for School Education, Rana Sikandar Hayat, revealed on Thursday that recent floods have wiped out nearly 3,000 schools across the province, disrupting education for thousands of children.
The minister shared the grim update during a meeting with UNICEF’s Pakistan Representative, Pernille Ironside, where both sides discussed strategies to address the situation and enhance cooperation.
He explained that the education department was already grappling with resource shortages before the disaster struck, and now thousands of schools lay in ruins, with many still submerged. “Rehabilitating these institutions has become our foremost challenge,” he noted, adding that the government has introduced three shifts in functional schools to accommodate displaced students.
According to Hayat, reconstruction could take up to three months. In the meantime, the government plans to rent private facilities and set up tent schools in flood-affected areas to prevent disruption in classes. He further announced that students from affected regions would be exempted from semester fees and granted scholarships.
Despite official claims of receding floods, breaches at the Noraja Bhutta embankment of the Sutlej River have inundated several villages in Multan, Lodhran, and Bahawalpur. For over a week, stagnant water—measuring eight to ten feet deep—has surrounded settlements including Noraja Bhutta, Kotla Chakar, Bahadurpur, Deepal, and Dunyapur.
Local residents report widespread devastation, with nearly 70 percent of houses already collapsed. “If the water doesn’t drain, the rest will fall too,” said Altaf Lang, a villager. “Diseases are spreading as the water changes colour. This is turning into a health emergency.
Villagers blame the nearby motorway for worsening the situation, claiming its limited culverts act more like barriers than drainage channels. They argue that breaching the motorway is the only way to release the water.
However, NHA General Manager Kashif Nawaz dismissed the demand, insisting that water was flowing through the culverts. He said protective measures, including placing stones around weak points, were being taken to safeguard the motorway without closing off drainage routes.
