LAHORE:
District emergency officers have submitted compliance reports regarding flood preparedness, revised flood plans, condition and functionality of flood fighting equipment, mock exercises and district emergency board meetings, Punjab Emergency Service Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer was told on Friday.
He was presiding over a meeting at the Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) headquarters on Friday to review the flood management plan for flood-prone districts.
The provincial monitoring cell briefed the DG about the final essential flood arrangements and the operational strategy evolved for all districts in case of floods.
He was informed that the Rescue 1122 had prepared a flood response strategy in which flood-hit districts shall be provided with operational and logistics backup by mobilising trained rescuers.
A specialised water rescue/ flood fighting team comprising six rescue inflatable boats with engines will also be moved to the flood-hit areas from the Emergency Services Academy in Lahore.
Furthermore, community emergency response teams have also been constituted to assist flood fighting.
The Finance Department has sanctioned hiring of boatmen on contingent-paid basis in 10 flood-prone districts of the Punjab, the DG was told.
A provincial monitoring cell has been established at the Lahore headquarters to ensure effective monitoring of floods. The cell will remain functional round the clock in coordination with the Met Department and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 30th, 2012.
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It's good that the Punjab government is trying to be proactive about preparedness.