CM wants a comprehensive strategy to combat disasters

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has stressed the need for evolving a comprehensive strategy at the national level to combat frequent disasters like floods, and said that all the provinces should also make their contribution for this purpose.

This he said while talking to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Asghar Nawz, who called on him at the Chief Minister’s House on Sunday.

Matters relating to the ongoing rescue and relief activities in katcha areas of Indus River were deliberated upon and discussed in the meeting. Sindh Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Additional Chief Secretary (Planning and Development) Muhammad Wasim and PDMA DG Syed Salman Shah were also present in the meeting. Talking to the participants of the meeting, the Sindh CM said that frequency of natural disasters had increased due to climate change, and from the last several years, we were facing one or the other disaster.

The CM added that Sindh was badly affected in 2010, 2011 and 2012 due to severe torrential rains and riverine floods, which was followed by drought in Thar and Cholistan and other areas of arid zone for three consecutive years. He said that the Sindh government provided food not only to the drought-affected Thar but also made arrangements for fodder for the livestock in drought-hit districts. He said that current floods and droughts were a result of changing weather patterns and climate change.

The Sindh CM said that the provincial government started making preparations early in the month of March for countering the effects of current floods, as the Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) had predicted heavy rains, especially in upper parts of the country. He said that the Sindh Irrigation Department, PDMA and administrations of all lined districts had been put on alert for safe passage of floodwater through the areas to the Arabian Sea. The CM, expressing his surprise over the perception of some quarters that floodwater was wasted in the sea, said that flow of fresh water into the sea was essential, as water encroached upon million of acres of fertile land of Badin and Thatta
coastal areas, besides damaging the ecological system.

He said that people of katcha areas were reluctant to leave their house, but the administration concerned has
evacuated people along with their
livestock to safer places, while relief and medical camps had been established at different locations.

Talking to the Sindh CM, NDMA Chairman Gen Asghr Nawaz said that assistance in all forms was being extended, including provision of boats and tents, to the Sindh PDMA for the relief and rescue operation in flood-affected katcha area.

He suggested that rescue service like 1122 should be established in every province to face any disaster on an urgent basis. On this, the ACS (development) informed that such a scheme had been included in the ADP of the current fiscal year for which an initial amount of Rs 250 million was earmarked.

The chairman further said that the NDMA had trained an Urban Search and Rescue Team and this highly efficient and expert team – trained to evacuate people during disasters – was working under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, but it should work under the administrative control of the PDMA to widen its scope and range. On this, the Sindh CM directed the chief secretary to do the needful in this connection.

Gen Asghr Nawaz said that there was a surge in disasters due to climate change and there should be a national fund for disaster management to face disasters in a comprehensive manner. He said that all provincial governments should contribute to this fund.