Disaster management: Provinces told to craft flood fighting plans

NDMA suggests guidelines to be completed before monsoon.

ISLAMABAD:

The National Disaster Manage­ment Authority (NDMA) has requested provinces to finalise their Flood Fighting Plans at provincial and district levels in coordination with their respective armed forces.

The provinces have been requested by the NDMA to take extra precautionary measures for ensuring the quality of maintenance work under way in different parts of the country. It also requested the creation of a round-the clock monitoring and vigilance mechanism during the flood season in order to identify in a timely fashion any untoward situation and take necessary remedial actions as part of a damage control strategy.

The NDMA has issued orders to sensitise the provincial departments including Provincial Disaster Management Authori­ties (PDMA). The authority has suggested guidelines as well as a list of actions required to be completed before the onset of the monsoon season.

The move comes so that all resources can be mobilised at the shortest possible notice in case of any disaster situation.

Since the destruction caused by the 2010 floods, the NDMA has monitored and coordinated activities during the emergency phase and has now conducted a strategy including field visits for evaluating the progress of repair and maintenance of the flood-protection programmes and the progress on the development of the damaged infrastructure. According to a statement issued by the authority, a draft of Monsoon Contingency Plan is also being prepared and will be shared with all the stakeholders in a Pre-Monsoon Coordination Meeting planned for June 15.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2011.