PDMA to work under SUPARCO guidance:Jawad Akram

Lahore: Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority Jawad Akram has said that Punjab Government has allocated highest ever allocation of rupees one billion and 500 million in current budget as relief funds for coping with the situation in case of any calamity.

Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has also assured the PDMA of providing more funds in case of any emergency.

Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority Jawad Akram while addressing a press conference, here today said that representatives of SUPARCO and other software engineers in PDMA Punjab have been assigned pre-monsoon arrangements duties. Information will also be received about rains through satellite before time so that planning could be made regarding relief in future, he added.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has decided to get the help of SUPARCO in order to monitor situation of all the rivers of the province through satellite. A modern software has also been developed through which information will be obtained regarding flow of water and its impact on the surrounding areas. The DG said that as soon the SUPARCO representatives informed the authorities about danger of flood in any area or city, the Control Room would immediately share the information with the authorities concerned, who would forward instructions to the district administrations so that they could take precautionary measures. The scientific alarming system would also help the PDMA in minimizing the loss of life and property in high risk areas, he added.

He also informed that the district administrations of the whole province have been ordered to immediately eliminate illegal encroachments from the banks of water courses. Officers showing any negligence or laxity will not be tolerated, he warned.

“The flood center set up at PDMA and Lahore Flood Warning Centre has been made operational from June 15 where officers of all departments will provide up to date information and awareness to the people under one roof,” Jawad Akram informed. According to him, PDMA has also established six warehouses with the cooperation of European Union in Lahore and Muzaffargarh, with cold storage having capacity of storing over 7500 metric tons of essential commodities and precautionary measures have also been taken at district and tehsil level. All the available machinery with the PDMA, including boats, has been overhauled and repairing of out of order machinery is under process, the DG told adding that a training course of all the concerned officials with the help of Pak Army is starting this month.

Regarding allocation of funds for coping with the situation in case of any calamity, he said that the Punjab government had allocated huge funds in the current budget for PDMA. The Chief Minister had also assured the PDMA management of providing more funds in case of any emergency. He said that on the instructions of Khadim-e-Punjab, the provincial government has provided boats to the army and civil agencies for evacuating the affected people to safer places. He said that Punjab government is making planning with the help of World Bank, UNICEF and other international agencies for saving precious human lives during flood.