A government official, who wished not to be named, told The Express Tribune: “This is a positive move … This reflects that efforts will now be made for arranging funds for replacing obsolete and dysfunctional radars and buy at least 14 new radars to cover at least 95 per cent of the country.”
According to the official, it appeared that disaster management was not on the government’s priority list and Pakistan was among countries most vulnerable to natural calamities and extreme weather events.
In June last year, the prime minister had asked the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) to submit a report on its failure to inform in advance about the windstorm that devastated Islamabad and parts of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on June 1.
The report was submitted in the same month and the Prime Minister’s House agreed on acquiring the latest weather radars and asked the PMD to submit a comprehensive plan in this regard.
But it remained in doldrums until December last year.
Met Office’s chief Dr Ghulam Rasul said: “The proposal has now been sent to the EAD and we are hoping for the best.”
Over the past few years, he said, Pakistan experienced extreme weather events mainly because of climate change impact and in the coming years, there will be a significant increase in the number and intensity of such events.
“Therefore, upgrading the early weather forecast system is very crucial for forecasting changes in weather patterns and issuing advance alerts, preventing human and property losses,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 22nd, 2017.
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