National Disaster Management Authority commences 2015 pre monsoon preparations

Islamabad, May 18, 2015 (PPI-OT): NDMA is holding consultative meetings in collaboration with all the provincial/ regional departments to review pre-monsoon preparedness and contingency planning by respective provinces/regions for upcoming monsoon season. In this regard, the third high level meeting was convened in Lahore (Punjab) at Civil Secretariat today.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary Punjab Mr. Khizar Hayat Gondal while Chairman NDMA Major General Asghar Nawaz also attended the briefing. The participants of the meeting included senior NDMA officials and representatives of all key provincial stakeholders including (Secretaries, Commissioners as well as key departments/line agencies) besides representatives of Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) Lahore, WAPDA, NHA, Pakistan Railway and PCIW etc.

DG PDMA Punjab, Mr. Jawad Akram briefed the House about the state of preparedness of various related provincial departments for monsoon 2015. The meeting was followed by updates by each department regarding its preparations and measures planned and undertaken to cope with any rain/flood eventuality during the monsoon season.

The meeting also discussed pre monsoon contingency planning carried out by PDMA Punjab including identified grey areas, remedial measures taken, status of flood fighting plans, stockpiling of reserve stone by the Irrigation Department for any unforeseen situation as a consequence of embankment breach etc besides arrangement to ensure safety of life, property and infrastructure during the monsoon season.

The Chief Secretary while appreciating the efforts of each department emphasized the need to expand and improve the early warning system for timely dissemination of relevant information to all concerned. He also stressed the need to ensure strategic deployment of boats and selection of camp sites for quick response.

Chairman NDMA while acknowledging the overall preparedness efforts stressed the necessity of further strengthening the early warning capacities of PMD including the fault free operation of Lahore, Mangla and Sialkot Weather Radars during the monsoon season. Preposition of relief stocks by PMD and related DDMAs utilizing the Humanitarian Response Facility (HRF) that has recently been completed under NDMA-WFP cooperation and handed over to PDMA Punjab.

Such meetings are a prelude to National Conference on Monsoon Preparedness and Contingency Planning that will be organized by NDMA to incorporate inputs from all relevant DMAs including Federal Agencies as well concerned agencies of UN and INGOs to formulate the Annual Contingency Plan of NDMA for effectively combating the Monsoon Season-2015.

For more information, contact:
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
Prime Minister’s Office, 2nd Floor,
Sector G-5-1, Constitution Avenue,
Post Code 44000, Islamabad
UAN: +92-51-111-157-157
Tel: +92-51-9205037
Fax: +92-51-9205086
Email: info@ndma.gov.pk
Website: www.ndma.gov.pk