Disaster authority on alert in Quetta

QUETTA:

Balochistan Provincial Disaster Management Authority is on high alert to cope with the monsoon heavy rains that will start lashing parts of the province. “The deputy commissioners of all districts have been provided with necessary relief items on the directives of Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizinjo, said Director General PDMA Jhanzaib Khan on Thursday. Heavy downpour, gusty winds and thunderstorm are expected to lash the majority of the regions of the province including Barkhan, Loralai, Sibi, Naseerabad, Kalat, Zhob, Lasbella, Awaran and Musakhail.

Torrential rains and thunderstorm damaging electricity pylons and solar plates may cause flooding in hilly areas, DG PDMA warned, urging people to avoid unnecessary travelling during the moonsoon spell.

He noted that a letter for imposing section 144 in the affected areas has been issued to the deputy commissioners. Expressing government resolve, the DG said that PDMA is well-prepared to tackle any emergency-like situation.

A control room established under the aegis of PDMA is active for 24 hours and ready to respond to any untoward incident.

It may be recalled that torrential rain followed by flash flood had wreaked havoc in parts of the province, causing huge human and capital losses in year 2023.

Hundreds of people died while huge swathe of agriculture land was destroyed by the catastrophe that struck in the previous year.

In view of predictable heavy rains, the government has chalked out a comprehensive strategy to avoid major losses.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2023.