Flood warning: 59 villages declared sensitive

Mock exercise launched to test readiness of departments concerned

BHAKKAR:

The district administration has issued a flood warning on Friday for three tehsils of the district. The districts identified as sensitive are Kallur Kot, Darya Khan and Bhakkar.

The department has declared 59 villages as highly sensitive. However, to deal with any emergency, a flood warning control room has been set up in the office of the deputy commissioner and the duty of government employees has been imposed which will keep a close watch on the current situation and immediately inform the agencies concerned to deal with any emergency.

The necessary machinery used during the flood has also been prepared and all arrangements have been completed.

Under the District Flood Safety and Relief Plan, a mock exercise has also been launched to test the competence and readiness of the concerned departments in the field of flood-fighting during the flood season.

Training exercises were conducted near Dajal Check Post, which was organised by the local unit of Rescue 1122 in collaboration with other departments.

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Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Muhammad Nasrullah Khan inspected the mock exercise held on the lake along the Indus River. During which he reviewed the trial arrangements in the camps set up by the departments concerned with the Flood Safety and Relief Plan.

Along with Rescue 1122's trial relief exercise, he also reviewed the dispensary of the health department and stall set up by livestock.

On the occasion, Revenue Additional Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Nasrullah Khan said due to the melting of glaciers this year there is a chance of flooding of rivers especially at Bhakkar river and there is a danger of flood.

Khan added, “There are 59 flood-prone villages in Bhakkar district. For this, mock exercise has been introduced under PDM in which teams from Rescue 1122, Irrigation Department, Health Department, Livestock Department and other concerned departments are participating in it.”

He also explained that the main purpose of this exercise was that if in case we receive a flood warning from Chashma Barrage, we have a time limit of 10 hours. During this period, it is necessary to warn the population and ensure the safety of lives and property of the people with planning in case of floods.

The purpose of all this operation is to work with all the departments to ensure that their duty is fulfilled in the spirit of patriotism.

He expressed satisfaction over the conduct of the flood mock exercise by the officials. He declared it a means of enhancing the capacity of the departments concerned with flood relief and stressed that in the light of this mock exercise, all safety arrangements and measures should be taken in full readiness so that relief operations in case of flood emergency are completed in a coordinated and effective manner.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2021.