NDMA is pursuing pro active approach and for Monsoon 2016 it prepared a comprehensive ‘Monsoon Contingency Directive – 2016’. This contains input from all stakeholders, incorporates experiences of the past and surveys wider avenues for effective contingency planning. In order to further consolidate these preparations and ensure ground coordinations Chairman NDMA Major General Asghar Nawaz started a series of consultative meetings with all provincial and regional disaster management authorities by visiting them individually.
This series of consultative meetings started with a visit to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh – Karachi, followed by a visit to Khyber Pukhtonkhwa and FATA Disaster Management Authorities – Peshawar, a visit to State Disaster Management Authority AJ&K – Muzaffarabad and lately a visit to PDMA Punjab – Lahore. These meetings helped in carrying out a detailed review of all pre-monsoon preparations and contingency planning at provincial and district levels.
Meeting at PDMA Punjab was held at Lahore on 1st July 2016. It was co chaired by Chairman NDMA Major General Asghar Nawaz and Senior Member Board of Revenue Punjab Mr. Jawed Rafeeq Malik. Officials of PDMA Punjab, related lines departments, representatives of NDMA and Pakistan Armed Forces attended the meeting.
Chairman NDMA, while appreciating the efforts of PDMA Punjab and all related provincial departments emphasized the need for extraordinary preparedness in the wake of PMD’s forecast of likely beyond normal rainfalls during this monsoon season. He called for putting in place enhanced measure of Early Warning particularly in areas affected by hill torrents to include areas of Rajanpur and D.G Khan. He stressed the need for a detailed stocktaking of rescue equipment of army and rescue 1122 and formulation of joint plans incorporating resources of army and district emergency services like Rescue 1122 for optimizing the response using Flood Vulnerability vis-a-vis Threat based approach.
Chairman asked all concerned to factor in needs of vulnerable groups i.e., children, women, disabled and aged people in planning and execution of relief operations.
In a separate meeting with Chief Secretary Punjab it was agreed upon to further strengthen coordination mechanism between NDMA and PDMA Punjab vis-a-vis PDMA Punjab and other related provincial and federal departments to ensure better coordination and timely activation of all possible efforts for saving precious human lives and properties.
Chairman NDMA assured fullest support of NDMA to the Government of Punjab.