ISLAMABAD: To monitor and take fresh updates, Acting Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Naiknam Muhammad Baig presided over the special National Emergencies Operations Centre (NEOC) session here on Monday, with the key stakeholders on the current monsoon situation.
According to a news release issued here, the session was attended by DG Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), officials from PDMAs (provincial disaster management authorities), representatives of the Federal Flood Commission (FFC), State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA), Armed Forces and PCIW.
Monsoon, Flood Situation in Chitral, GB, Other Parts
The Acting-Chairman reviewed the restoration of roads and bridges, monsoon-related incidents, and rescue and relief operations in different parts of the country, particularly the northern parts, including Gilgit Baltistan, Chitral, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the past two days.
The Chairman directed the concerned departments to prepare resource contingency plans and implement early warning systems and disaster mitigation interventions in hazard-prone areas adding that the proactive measures are essential in mitigating disaster impact and calling for tangible and immediate actions before disaster strikes.
Meanwhile, the DG PMD apprised the session on rainfall data in the last 24 hours and the upcoming monsoon spell. He maintained that the next monsoon spell would be expected to bring heavy rains in the upper parts of the country from July 31st to August 6th, resulting in urban flooding in major cities in the country along with flash flooding and land sliding in mountainous regions.
He informed the session about the latest updates and capacity in the country’s major reservoirs, including Tarbela and Mangla, which are nearly full at 79% and 74%, respectively. It was also discussed that the two Indian dams, Pong & Thein, are also close to capacity following a possibility of flood flow from India into the River Indus, which may affect Lahore adversely. The FFC maintained that all major rivers are currently within normal limits.
