Daily Times

Floods damage 1.17 million homes: NDMA report

On Friday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) informed the Senate Standing Committee on Planning that catastrophic floods had damaged almost 1.17 million homes, 243,733,488 livestock, and 5,050 kilometers of roads.

Senator Attaur Rehman presided over the meeting of the standing committee as its chairman.

Dinesh Kumar inquired as to why the minister of planning was absent from the meeting and stated that it should not be taken lightly.

The planning secretary informed the group that 26 districts in Balochistan were hit by the floods after the NDMA alerted them of the devastation. He claimed that 400 tiny dams will be created and that aerial surveys are now being conducted to assess the flood scenario.

He stated that by Wednesday, Rs1.2 billion had been distributed to them and the government had deposited cash assistance straight into the accounts of flood victims.

Members of the committee asserted that even communities spared from the flooding had suffered due to cut-off roads and the fact that power had not been fully restored in a number of locations.

The planning secretary requested the NDMA to bear responsibility, citing their 15 days of support. Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and provincial governments have developed preliminary estimations.

Floods damage 1.17 million homes: NDMA report

According to the NDMA, only 3mm of precipitation fell in two locations on Friday, despite the fact that the Sulaiman Mountains experienced 20 days of rain. This year’s precipitation was more than anticipated, they said, adding that similar weather patterns are not expected this month.

The Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission was compiling a damage report, according to authorities who addressed the audience.

The report was sought at the committee’s subsequent meeting.

The airport in Dera Ismail Khan would be more suitable than the airport in Bannu due to its ideal location, according to representatives of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who also mentioned that they considered the airport from a commercial standpoint in addition to the arrival of large planes earlier in the meeting.

The planning secretary estimates that Pakistan’s total development budget is Rs 2,200 billion, of which Rs 700 billion is allocated to the federal government and Rs 1,500 billion to the provinces. He stated that projects were becoming more expensive as a result of the inflationary surge.

He stated that a public-private partnership would be utilized to construct the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, which would cost Rs308 billion, with the government contributing only Rs8 to Rs10 billion.

Several abandoned infrastructure projects would be revitalized through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he stated (CPEC).