NWFP government on Tuesday organised a feedback workshop on 'Departmental Disaster Management Plan NWFP' in collaboration with German Technical Organisation (GTZ). The purpose of the workshop was to prepare a disaster management plan, to be run by a prepared Disaster Management Authority, to reduce the losses (both life and property) as a result of any calamity.
Representatives of public sector organisations attended the workshop and shared their views/experiences to handle natural calamities/disasters in an effective manner and chalked out a comprehensive plan in consultation with all stakeholders.
Additional Secretary Home, MS Saeeda, Additional Principal Advisor GTZ, Christian Mueller, Advisor GTZ, Dr Ishaq Mohmand, and Ex-DG Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Balochistan, Khuda Bakhsh Baloch highlighted the aims and objectives of the establishment of the authority and the role of each and every department in disaster management.
It is worth mentioning here that NWFP has so far not formulated a disaster management plan despite the fact that the province was severely affected in October 2005 devastated earthquake. All other provinces including AJK have already established disaster management authorities and prepared plans.
Balochistan is the leading province, which successfully handled past disasters and formulated a very successful plan by allocating billions of rupees for the purpose as well as trained various public and private sector organisations including scouts etc to come to the rescue during disaster like situation.
The participants stressed the need for devising a plan having preventive measures to cope with any eventuality in NWFP. The participants demanded of the higher authorities to take cognisance of the situation and gear-up the efforts to put in place the authority/plan as no significant progress had so far been made despite the lapse of one and a half year. The participants were directed to prepare a plan, which would be presented in the next meeting.
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