Disaster management: Provincial command and control centre set up

" It is extremely important to understand the need for such centres when a disaster occurs," UNDP Communications Analyst Mehreen Saeed. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: The creation of a command, control and communication centre will ensure that communities in Punjab are informed well-before and during disasters, said officials on Sunday.

The centre, established in Lahore, will provide much-needed coordination and a centralised command mechanism for Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). The centre will connect key mobile units including the police control room, Rescue 1122 control room, Railway Headquarters and District Commissioner’s office in Lahore through a Very High Frequency (VHF) network. This facility will extend to all districts in Punjab through mobile squads and will facilitate a coordinated response in case of a disaster.

United Nations Development Program Communications Analyst Mehreen Saeed told The Express Tribune that it is extremely important to understand the need for such centres when a disaster occurs. Communication channels help with coordination and identifying places where help is needed. “[There are] lives are at stake,” she said.

The control room is equipped to deal with multiple disasters that may occur throughout the year. It will have representatives from PDMA, meteorological and irrigation departments, federal and provincial flood commissions, Indus water commissioner and the Army’s IV (Lahore) Corps engineers and others to ensure that key stakeholders are on board and communications channels are fully functional when a disaster strikes.

PDMA Director General Khalid Sher Dil said areas in south Punjab are vulnerable to floods every year. A total of five districts and especially Dera Ghazi Khan are areas that are cut off when a disaster occurs, he said, adding that a total of 270 motorboats and a warehouse stocked with essential food items and tents have been set up for future challenges.

The EU’s head of delegation, Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, said, “Lessons learnt from 2010 and 2011’s devastating floods give all the more sense to this collective demarche. This centre showcases a striking combination of modern technology and high professional skills that will allow us to better anticipate future challenges.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2012.