Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday to the President of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Federal Ministers of Climate Planning and Change to join the bosses with the provinces to develop a comprehensive disaster management plan based on the lessons learned from the devastating rains and the cloudburst events.
The Prime Minister visited the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) at the headquarters of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), where he was informed about the country’s monsoon situation, disaster response efforts and the growing intensity of climatic patterns.
The prime minister praised the efforts of the NDMA and praised the role of modern technology and human resources qualified in the authority.
He said: “NDMA always provides an encouraging environment, and is due to its modern infrastructure and the highly capable team. This is my second visit here, and I am pleased to see the dedication.”
The prime minister highlighted the recent clouds of clouds and strong downpours in Chakwal, Lahore, Islamabad and mountainous areas, recognizing the severity of climatic conditions.
The prime minister appreciated the provincial governments for their response, especially Punjab under Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz, for his effective management and coordination of disasters with NDMA and PDMA, which results in relatively less losses.
The Prime Minister promised the full support of the Prime Minister’s office to acquire the necessary disaster response equipment and emphasized the importance of federal-provincial cooperation in the strengthening of human resources, the development of capacities and the team for rescue and help operations.
During the informative session, the president of the NDMA, Lieutenant General Inam Haider, Malik, informed the prime minister that the intensity of this year’s monsoon is 60-70 percent higher than last year, and averaging 65 percent more than expected throughout the region. Traditionally limited to eight to nine spells, the current season of the Monzón has already seen two or three additional spells, he added.
Until now, he said that 178 lives have been lost and that around 500 people injured due to rain -related incidents. While last year’s projections had indicated a growing impact on northern Punjab, Ajk, Islamabad and Upper Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), this year has moved towards Punjab, Islamabad and Ajk, and Ajk, with the trend that is expected to persist during the next 3 to 4 weeks.
