Officials directed to remain vigilant

MINGORA: The commissioner of Malakand division on Tuesday urged the deputy commissioners and officials of the line-departments to stay alert in the wake of monsoon rains and floods.A meeting to this effect was held at Saidu Sharif with the Malakand Division Commissioner Riaz Khan Mahsud in the chair.

Deputy commissioners of Swat, Malakand Agency, Buner, Shangla, Bajaur, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Upper Chitral and Lower Chitral, besides officials of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Kanju Brigade, Malakand Task Force, and Communication and Works Department attended the meeting. The commissioner directed the participants to stock food, non-food items and medicines in case of emergency according to the needs in their respective districts especially Chitral. He asked the administration of the Swat district to share the control room information regularly so that the people could get the latest update on the floods and also entertain their complaints. The commissioner directed the district administration to discourage the illegal construction and encroachment on the banks of Swat and Panjkora rivers and ensure that the River Protection Act is applied.