PDMA warns of intense heatwave

Chitral, Dir, Kohistan and Swat vulnerable

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued alerts about an intense heatwave across the province.

It has issued warning that as per the Met office forecast temperature could rise by another four to six degree centigrade which could trigger flash floods in Upper and Lower Chitral, Kohistan, Upper and Lower Dir and Swat as a result of snow and glacier melting.

In this regard, PDMA has sent warning to district administrations, directing them that all the local communities living near glaciers should be informed about the situation and precautionary measures should be taken.

“All the stakeholders including the district administrations have been ordered that they should put emergency rescue services and other officials on red alert and all the equipment needed for emergency response should be also kept ready,” said an official of the PDMA while talking to The Express Tribune.

Deputy commissioners have been asked to inform the tourists in these districts about the potential dangers so that they could avoid traveling to sensitive areas.

Special instructions have been issued to the DCs and other departments to make sure that roads are kept open in the event of any flashfloods and road repair machinery is available where needed in time.

The PDMA emergency operation centre has been also put on alert and it is active round the clock.

The Relief, Rehabilitation & Settlement Department, in collaboration with the PDMA, has finalized the Monsoon Contingency Plan 2023.

This plan aims to proactively identify potential monsoon hazards, vulnerabilities, and risks, while strategically allocating resources to minimize disaster risks and ensure a well-coordinated response in a timely manner.

Extensive consultations were conducted with district administrations, provincial and federal line departments, and humanitarian partners, incorporating valuable lessons learned from previous experiences.

The Contingency Plan builds upon the lesson learned from the 2022 floods and focuses on mitigating the potential impact of floods. It includes the implementation of improved early warning systems, streamlined evacuation procedures, and enhanced communication channels.

Emphasizing the importance of community engagement, the plan encourages active participation in disaster preparedness and response efforts.

A final meeting chaired by Secretary Relief Abdul Basit was held to review the plan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2023.