The present floods necessitate a comprehensive plan to provide relief to the affectees, which must have a short-term perspective, a longer-term view and a final phase of rehabilitation. The short-term programme needs to provide food and healthcare while other problems are identified. The affected areas may be given under the control of Tehsildars and DCOs, or local leaders, to evaluate problems related to each area. After the flood is over, water-borne diseases, malaria, gastro, skin/eye allergies, mental disorder caused by excessive trauma and many other ailments may well set in. The food given to sufferers cannot possibly be hygienic at all times so they shall have many such diseases. The person incharge or supervisor, whatever you call him, should work to determine problems of the suffering population. The mental disorder due to excessive trauma would be high in incidence simply because a lot of people have lost their homes, properties, lands, animals, their lifes work and savingssome have even lost their children. We can avoid, or at least limit damage from other ailments by simply ensuring their food is hygienic, water clean and other essential items related to sanitation supplied to them wherever they are. A long-term programme is very essential to judge the value of their losses and how they should be built up to the same level. After their financial rehabilitation shall come the need for properly planning the support facilities for habitat and an appropriate sewerage system should be given the top priority in that. I give you the example of Lahore where just a little bit of rain can cause a problem because the WASA manholes are never cleaned properly nor have these been planned well when constructed. The officials made a lot of money from the little money the City spent on this system. Only about 25% of the City government budget was spent on the sewerage system. Imagine the sewerage system failure in Lahore and then think what would the condition be in the little villages so far off? People have constructed their houses in riverbeds in this country because there is no civic planning. They should be advised to construct houses on only safe embankments. These are a few suggestions of an experienced flood worker who had worked in 1954 floods in Lahore. -PROF. DR. M. A. SOOFI, Lahore, August 24.