The Punjab government has approved the procurement of 10 airlift drones following the successful deployment of initial units in flood-ravaged South Punjab areas, particularly Multan.
Ongoing monsoon floods have displaced over 1.5 million people in the province’s worst deluge in decades.
According to the home department, the airlift drones, a technological first for the country’s emergency services, have proven instrumental in delivering aid to remote and inaccessible areas that boats cannot reach.
Capable of carrying up to 200 kilogrammes of supplies such as food, medicines, and even individuals, these heavy-lift drones have airlifted essentials to flood-trapped residents up to 50 kilometres away, according to a spokesperson for the Punjab Home Department.
The drones have conducted several rescue and relief missions in Multan and surrounding districts, searching for stranded people and urgently transporting life-saving aid. The drones have also proved effective in densely populated and congested towns with infrastructure constraints like Jabalpur Pirwala in Multan district, where floodwater had severely reduced visibility in the inundated areas and thousands of residents were marooned.
Rescue and relief boats moving in such conditions faced the risk of hitting hurdles under water or trees, causing repeated boat capsize.incidents.
The.air lift drones were deployed in such scenarios where the authorities were preferring to deliver food, medicines and.other necessities of life to people who were surrounded by water on high ground but cut off the supply routes.
“Pakistan’s first emergency airlift drone service is transforming how we respond to crises,” said Punjab Home Secretary Dr. Ahmad Javed Qazi during an on-site inspection in flood-affected areas.
“These drones are a game-changer for civil defence, allowing us to reach places that were previously out of bounds. We’ve already saved countless lives, and with 10 more units, we’ll cover even more ground,” he added.
The home secretary, accompanied by Civil Defence Director Rao Tasneem Ali Khan, oversaw drone operations in South Punjab, where swollen rivers, especially the Chenab, have isolated communities.
The home department had first acquired two such drones earlier this month, following test flights on the Ravi River in Lahore. The trials completed before deployment to Multan demonstrated the drones’ ability to lift a 60kg dummy load from hazardous simulated environments, including high-rises and rugged terrain.
The trial followed a demonstration last month at the Civil Secretariat, where Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Chairman Khawaja Salman Rafique witnessed the unveiling of the technology.
During the mock exercise, a heavy-lift drone successfully airlifted a 60kg body, alongside displays of bomb disposal robots and other tools. “Our civil defence personnel are frontline soldiers in floods and emergencies,” the provincial minister had stated at the time.
“Equipping them with world-class tools like these drones will save lives and set a new standard for resilience,” he added.
The floods triggered by intense monsoon and preceding rains since June have devastated South.Punjab, with Multan district bearing the brunt.
Satellite imagery from September 9 shows widespread inundation along major rivers, turning farmlands into vast water bodies.
Over 19,000 people were rescued in the last 24 hours, including thousands from Bahawalpur and Pakpattan, as water levels in the Chenab at Trimmu Barrage remained critically high.
