Daily Times

Director General Pakistan Meteorological Department Mahr Sahibzad on Tuesday said the department this year would conduct Ramazan and Shawwal moon sighting meetings in Peshawar to end the controversy which arouses every year.

This was apprised by DG PMD to the visiting senators of the Standing Committee on Climate Change, which under the leadership of Chairperson Senator Seemee Ezdi flanked by Senators Mushahid Hussain Syed, Dr. Muhammad Hamayun Mohmand, Keshoo Bai and Khalida Ateeb visited the met office, here, for a detailed briefing on the working and responsibilities of the department.

Meanwhile, DG PMD Mahr Sahibzad Khan while briefing the committee on the mandate and working of the department. suggested clear legislation on the matter (moon controversy) to end discrepancies in the moon testimonies.

The committee was informed that the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) needed tehsil or taluka-level weather observatories to ensure grassroots-level forecast coverage across the country.

Moreover, the PMD also furnished research papers before the committee related to dengue and COVID-19 outbreaks in the country.

Responding to the query on Monsoon abnormal rainfalls, the DG said all weather systems generated simultaneously during this monsoon causing huge floods. The Met Office gave preemptive forecast keeping in view international trends and highlighted unprecedented monsoon rainfall, he added.

“The rainfall was beyond our predictions whereas the heatwaves also created a huge vacuum in the system supporting massive rainfall,” he explained.

Senator Dr. Muhammad Hamayun Mohmand said the moon sighting committee should have members from all parties including Moulana Popalzai to end division.

He, while referring to the fact, said clean drinking water could have helped in saving $30 billion in the health budget and similarly investment in early warning infrastructure could help save billions in the future.

Whereas Senator Seemee Ezdi expressed concerns about not responding to repeated calls issued to the DG PMD from the committee officials.

Responding to Senator Keshoo Bai’s question, the met office official told the committee that lightning in Thar was mainly due to active monsoon season and prolonged rainfall. The committee members also visited sections of Met office’s weather radar tower, ‘Climate Change Impacts Integration Cell’, and the national seismic monitoring center.