LAHORE: The affectees have started returning to their homes after the floodwater receded in most areas of Theme Park View Society-one of the housing schemes worst hit by the flood of the Ravi near Chuhng, Multan Road. However, the floodwater in the scheme`s overseas and Khalid Bin Waleed blocks-very close to the river-is yet to be drained out fully, according to residents.

`After almost 24 days, we have returned to our house in the Talha Block.

We washed floors, walls, toilets etc to make the house livable,` Jannat Bibi, a resident of the Theme Park, toldDawn.

`But most valuables/goods that we had left in the house while leaving the locality in a hurry are no longer usable as the floodwater ruined everything. Now we will have to start sleeping on the floor, she added.

Theme Park is an illegal housing scheme developed in the area prone tofloods. The entire scheme was submerged by the flood and at places, the people were unable even to see the top floor of their houses. The main cause behind total submerge was the ground level that was much lower to the river bed and this led to flow of the floodwater towards the scheme fast.

`Today we visited our house after many days. We cleaned floors, rooms etc. But we will have to buy new goods, furniture, electric and 1(itchen appliances,` said Saleem Abbas, a resident of Bilal Block.

`The level of the accumulated floodwater in streets has also reduced to one foot or so,` he said, adding that the government teams were stationed in the scheme to drain out the accumulated floodwater.

Mr Abbas said a couple of days ago, the government officers on the request of residents increased the number of cranes, dewatering machines, equipment etc, especially to drain out the fioodwater in the Overseas and Khalid bin Waleed blocks which were much lower than the river bed level. `These were the blockswhere the floodwater entered first and accumulated fast up to 30 feet. Water up to 5/6 feet still exists, but it is reducing now with the help of machinery provided by the government,` he added.

Abbas appealed to the government to help the thousands of poor residents of the Theme Park by giving them monetary compensation for the repair of houses, purchase of goods and other needs.

Talking toDawn, a senior Punjab government officer said the government had started surveying the flood-hit areas to assess the losses.

`I thinl( this survey will take 15 days to complete and after it, the government will surely compensate the affectees, including the residents of Theme Park, the officer, requesting anonymity, claimed. `But I cannot confirm how much compensation the government will give to the affectees,` he added.

MINISTER: Punjab Minister for Housing & Urban Development Bilal Yasin while addressing a ceremony said Pakistan faced one of the worst floods inits history, with hundreds of villages submerged.

`The chief minister herself boarded a boat in the raging river to break the fear of the fioods. In several areas, floodwaters wiped out entire settlements,` he added.

Yasin shared that during the operation in Kasur, it was impossible to distinguish between the river and nearby populated areas. He noted that the CM had announced a historic relief package for flood-affected people in these difficult times. `Instructions have already been issued to all deputy commissioners to assess crop losses.

Bilal Yasim further said that for the first time, the urban buildings of Sialkot and Gujrat were seen in such a bad state.

`The Punjab government`s ministers and administrative machinery remained present in fiood-hit areas,` he claimed.

The ceremony was also attended by Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, PDMA DG Irfan Kathia and others.