LAHORE  -  Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed all departments including district administrations, PDMA, Police and Rescue 1122, to remain on high alert and take precautionary measures in view of possible torrential rains across the province. She instructed deputy commissioners and other relevant officers to stay in the field and ensure strict implementation of PDMA Punjab’s guidelines. Special directives were issued to deal with the threat of cloudbursts in Upper Punjab and to make advance arrangements to prevent possible flood torrents in the Koh-e-Sulaiman river valleys. Additional measures have also been ordered for Murree, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal and Koh-e-Sulaiman districts. The chief minister approved a ban on tourist travel to Murree and adjoining areas as a precautionary step, directing authorities to restrict movement of tourists in view of potential cloudbursts, landslides and heavy rains. On her instructions, PDMA Punjab has been mobilized and provided necessary resources, while deputy commissioners have been asked to remain in close contact with the authority to counter any unusual rise in river flows. Boats, life jackets and other rescue equipment have been supplied to vulnerable populations near waterways. The chief minister also ordered immediate evacuation of citizens from riverbeds, a ban on bathing in rivers, canals and streams, and directed police to conduct patrolling along water banks.