KP govt draws up monsoon contingency plan

PESHAWAR: Monsoon contingency plan has been drawn up at the provincial and district levels to assess the level of vulnerabilities and to map out resources available with all stakeholders.

An official statement said that Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has formulated provincial Monsoon Contingency Plan for the year 2020, with support from all line departments and district disaster management units, which provided all the base line first-hand information.

The document is comprehensive and based on the principle of automated formal systemic responses after the first time initiation. Lastly, the Covid-19 pandemic and locust attack during this year makes the document unprecedented.

Similarly, the District Monsoon Contingency Plan-2020 contains indicators for all the districts. These indicators include, but are not limited to, introduction of the district, map of the district, rainfall and monsoon profile with record of three past years, seasonal calendar, monsoon damages, compensations paid, resource mapping, available machinery, philanthropists details, NFIs, vulnerable areas and identified camps, health profile, contact directory and district emergency control room.

Pakistan experiences monsoon season from June to September every year, with variable intensity of rainfall. Heavy rains can cause floods (flash floods, riverine floods and urban flood). Landslides, Glofs (glacial lake outburst floods) and less rainfall in certain parts results in drought-like situation.

As per historical data/records during monsoon, floods pose innumerable challenges for disaster management. It calls for adaptation of a comprehensive and pro-active multi-sectoral strategy at all tiers of response.