The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Punjab has officially declared flood-affected districts across the province as calamity-hit areas.

According to a notification issued on Saturday, 72 tehsils in 27 districts have been declared calamity-affected based on the condition of individual villages.

Officials said villages that suffered more than 50 per cent damage were declared disaster-hit following a joint report by the Punjab Board of Revenue and PDMA.

The decision was made under the Punjab National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act of 1958.

PDMA Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia has directed district administrations to accelerate relief and rehabilitation operations in the affected regions, assess the losses of affected families, and ensure early completion of financial compensation.

He said that no land revenue or water tax (abiana) would be collected from the affected districts during the current Kharif season.

The PDMA and district governments will also initiate projects for the restoration of roads, drainage systems, schools, health centres, and houses in the calamity-hit areas.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Relief Commissioner has formed monitoring teams to oversee the rehabilitation and relief activities.