So far around Rs3.3 billion have been received in the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund, National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) officials told the Senate Committee on Climate Change.
The meeting of the Senate Committee chaired by chairperson Seemee Ezdi was convened on Thursday to assess the total flood damage and the international committee’s relief assistance to the government.
The committee was briefed that so far a total of 1,412 persons countrywide have been killed due to catastrophic floods with 1,749,532 damaged houses whereas 771,141 livestock were washed away in torrents.
Committee member Taj Haider, speaking during the proceedings, said that the construction of check dams (a small dam constructed across a drainage ditch or channel to lower the velocity of flow) along with the revival of natural waterways was necessary so that the disastrous effects of floods could be reduced. He also said that climate change was a major issue for Pakistan.
The Senate Committee was also briefed by the Climate Change Ministry about the National Hazardous and Waste Management Policy. During the briefing, the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF-II) project’s steps to reduce the risks of floods and eventually prevent casualties were discussed.
The Committee was told that geographically works throughout 10 districts of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and eight districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and locals were warned about floods during the primary work. It was also told that community-based disaster risk management centres or safe havens had been created.
Chairperson Seemee Ezdi talking about the KP forest fire incident pointed out that owing to the importance of forests in the ecosystem there was a dire need for joint efforts to preserve them. She also said that Pakistan was among the top countries most vulnerable to climate change directing all the provincial forest departments to brief the Senate Committee about policies for the preservation of forests.
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