Flood crisis cell needs to be set up at provincial level

Flood crisis cell needs to be set up

KARACHI: Better coordination would yield quick information gathering and assist in the relief work of flood affectees. Both PDMA and NDMA need to sit together regularly and frequently to collect updated data on (IDPs) internally displaced people and assistance relief work, says a Press release.
The flood related cell also needs to be established immediately at provincial level to work in close coordination with (NFRC) National Flood Response Centre. Federal Minister planning, development and national reform Prof. Ahsan Iqbal said during a meeting with CM Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah Wednesday. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was also present at the occasion.
Ahsan Iqbal Further said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed all the stakeholders to work together and ensure synergy in the services. No single stakeholder either NGO or provincial government or NDMA can tackle a catastrophe of such a higher magnitude, he added.
The Planning and development Minister also suggested the Sindh Government to designate a focal person for the Planning Division. The focal person could keep in close coordination with the Federal Government through a dedicated team of experts and efficient bureaucracy, he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari emphasized on grass root level strategy to face the prodigality of Flood related destruction in Pakistan. He further said that an emergency-like situation had been created. The uniform and well-coordinated strategy among the provincial government, Civil Society and NDMA at district level could control the pandemonium.
The Sindh Government had been everywhere in the relief work. However, the scale of catastrophe is so huge that only a collective approach and assistance could be a solution to come out of this crisis, he added.
CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah informed that the Sindh Government had only 81000 tents when rain got converted into floods. Later on, order of further 4500000 tents was given on an immediate basis. He further said that 62000 tents were purchased within ten days after floods were inundating the cities. “The Sindh Government is everywhere, but the demand is higher than availability of tents. The Sindh Government could only provide 10% of the total tents’ requirements.”
The meeting was attended by officials of NDMA, NFRC, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, provincial secretary on rehabilitation, PDMA and others.