Preparing for monsoon: Survey to identify unsafe buildings

Central control room to start functioning from July 15.

LAHORE: District Coordination Officer Noorul Amin Mengal on Friday directed the administration to complete a survey of the city to identify unsafe buildings before the start of the monsoon season.

He said all town municipal administrations should carry out the survey in collaboration with the building planning department. He said appropriate action would be taken once the buildings were identified.

The DCO was presiding over a meeting to review the action plan and arrangements for a flood emergency.

He said a central control room to monitor the arrangements would be set up at the DCO’s office. It will be operational from July 15. The additional collector will be in charge of the facility. All town municipal officers (TMO) were directed to set up similar control rooms in their respective towns.

DCO Mengal said all drains and sewers in the city should be cleaned before the start of the monsoon season. He directed the TMOs to ensure that they had a sufficient stock of de-watering sets and acquire more if there was a shortage.

The DCO directed Irrigation Department officials to make necessary arrangements for a possible flood in low-lying areas along the bank of River Ravi. He said encroachments on the river bed should be removed immediately.

The Health Department was directed to stock up necessary vaccines and medicines at all BHUs in the city.

Officers of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), the LESCO, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and Education Department were directed to keep close liaison with one another and submit their monsoon plans to the DCO.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2012.