BY ALI IMRAN
ISLAMABAD: Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik on Friday directed the relevant departments to draw comprehensive plans for initiating necessary measures on account of possible shortage of water due to low rainfall in this season.
The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) session was held at NDMA presided by the Chairman NDMA with representatives of Ministry of Food Security, Ministry of Railways, Pakistan Meteorology Department (PMD), Federal Flood Commission (FFC), National Highway Authority (NHA), National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Information Technology Board (NITB).
The federal departments briefed the meeting on recovery and rehabilitation progress in their respective fields after Floods 2022. The Chairman NDMA also requested Pakistan Railways and NHA to ensure development of sustainable and disaster resilient structures keeping in view vulnerabilities for natural calamities in the country.
During the meeting, the PMD briefed the forum on weather outlook for this winter season and stated that less than normal rainfall is expected during December 2022 and normal rainfall spell would likely to be experienced in January 2023. The NIH briefed the session on remedial measures and observed the declining trajectory in spread of epidemic diseases in flood-affected areas.
Representative of Ministry of Food Security and NITB informed the NEOC about progress of digital application for registration and provision of relief to farmers. NHA and Pakistan Railways gave briefing on current status of communication infrastructure in flood-ravaged areas and reconstruction plans.
The Chairman NDMA explained to the participants on need of further and closer integration of all departments and briefed on his vision to expand the NEOC and make it live interfaced with all departments to remodel NDMA from a response oriented entity to a proactive mode.
The meeting was adjourned with principal directions and guidance for each department in view of futuristic disaster mitigation planning for future and lessons learnt during the recent floods.
