NDMA holds Tsunami rescue drills

Thursday, November 05, 2009 By Our correspondent

Islamabad: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) with the collaboration of United Nation (UN) has conducted Tsunami rescue drills in different parts of the country for the awareness of locals living near coastal belt. The exercises were conducted in Kety Bander in district Thatta near Karachi and Jewni, some 60 kilometres from port city of Gwadar, in Balochistan. The local government and the community of these areas fully participated in Tsunami rescue drills. Chaudhry Muhammad Irfan, official spokesman of the NDMA told ‘The News’ that the main purpose of these exercises is to strengthen the Coastal Hazards Early Warning System in Pakistan, with focus on Tsunami. He said the project follows multi-pronged approach covering end-to-end system by addressing the need to strengthen institutional and legal arrangements including governance and development of coastal hazard Early Warning System. He said that the local community, fishermen, and households living along coastal areas of Gawdar, Lasbella, Karachi, Thatta and Badin districts, besides port authorities and district administrations would be sensitised in next phase of the project.