Monsoon madness: Pressure on govt to prepare for rains in advance

UNISAM appeals to govt and tehsil municipal administration to take precautions for the monsoon season.

MULTAN:

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has appealed to the government and tehsil municipal administration (TMA) to take precautions for the monsoon season.  UNISAME officials said that the authorities needed to take advanced steps to cope with the monsoons this year.

UNISAME president Zulfikar Thaver said there was a possibility of floods this year due to expected heavy rains and the authorities needed to take all possible precautions.

“We cannot afford to be unprepared this time,” he said.

Thaver urged the authorities to look into the matter seriously and take necessary action wherever required. He lamented that many SME farmers were still complaining that the authorities had not taken measures to compensate their losses. “They seem unprepared for what might happen this year and we cannot withstand another year of floods,” said farmer Hakeemullah. Farmers and UNISAME officials said that the government had still not completed reconstruction work with regard to last year’s floods.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2011.