NDMA wants enhanced inter-agency coordination

Islamabad

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Omar Mehmood Hayat has urged for enhanced Inter-Agency Coordination and improved Early Warning Arrangement on water inflow from eastern and western rivers so that timely and effective response may be initiated to avoid the losses.

He said this while chairing an Inter-Agencies Meeting for floods mitigation here on Wednesday. Federal Flood Commission Chairman Engineer Ahmed Kamal, Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) Director Dr. Muhammad Hanif, Federal Floods Forecasting Division director, Pakistan Commission for Indus Water (PCIW) joint director and Member Operation NDMA also participated in the meeting. The participants updated the NDMA chairman on the arrangements made and initiatives undertaken by their respective departments for the flood mitigation during the current monsoon season.

While addressing the meeting NDMA chairman observed that along with the flood hazards from heavy rainfall in catchment areas and glacial melt, release of waters from across the borders in eastern and western rivers like Kabul, Chenab, Jhelum and Indus was the major vulnerability.

He said that as an upper riparian neighbour India should cooperate by timely information sharing on water outflow from its rivers and actual rainfall recorded as stipulated in the Indus Water Treaty. He also urged Pakistan Commission for Indus Water (PCIW) to enhance coordination mechanism of Early Warning Arrangements for release of water, especially, from the eastern rivers so that timely and effective response for flood mitigation may be initiated by relevant stakeholders. Lt. Gen Omar was of the view that by strengthening Early Warning System and through better adaptive strategies, flood losses can be brought to the minimum level.

He also reiterated that NDMA was taking all necessary measures to enhance National Resilience against disasters and to ensure the safety to human lives, properties and developmental infrastructure.