Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has only 378 personnel and a few vehicles and equipment to deal with natural disasters and emergencies in the federal capital with a population of over 2.5 million people. According to sources, originally the CDA had around 700 personnel in the directorate of emergency and disaster management, but 322 of them have got themselves transferred to other departments after getting illegal promotions.

According to the sources, the civic agency lacked the capacity to tackle emergencies and rescues people from high-rise buildings as private builders have constructed upto 350 feet high buildings while the civic agency has the capacity to rescue people from 160 feet high buildings. The civic agency has only six ambulances and 12 fire-tenders and the available fire-tenders have almost run down. The CDA spent millions rupees on the training of 700 personnel abroad in 2009, but the personnel illegally got themselves transferred to other wings after they returned to the country, the source said.