Peshawar ( Khyber Point) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Advisor for Information and Public Relations, Barrister Dr. Muhammad Ali Saif, has stressed that protecting waterways is now unavoidable in light of the recent devastating floods. He announced that the government’s operation against encroachments along rivers will continue until their complete removal.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Dr. Saif said that Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur has issued strict instructions to all administrative units to eliminate riverbank encroachments without discrimination or external pressure. “This is a zero-compromise policy,” he noted, adding that the campaign will only conclude once all illegal structures along waterways are demolished.
Dr. Saif emphasized that encroachments have directly endangered human lives. “The recent floods proved that one of the major causes of loss of life and property was construction along riverbanks and within natural water passages. Hundreds of lives could have been saved if these encroachments did not exist,” he remarked.
The provincial government, he added, is also reviewing necessary amendments to the River Protection Act to strengthen defenses against future climate-related disasters. “We have witnessed the destructive power of climate change, and the floods have taught us that preventive measures are no longer optional—they are essential,” Dr. Saif explained.
Officials say the ongoing operation has already cleared several critical river stretches, but enforcement remains a challenge due to resistance from local communities and vested interests. Nonetheless, the administration insists that the drive will not be halted until waterways are secured.
With climate change intensifying flood risks each year, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has placed river protection at the heart of its disaster management strategy—aiming to safeguard lives and minimize future losses.
