'All important measures being taken to help flood victims'

Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Zafar Iqbal Qadir said on Saturday that the organisation was providing relief to flood and rain-stricken people of Sindh. He told Pakistan Television that the NDMA had dispatched tents, medicine and food packets and other essential items to the areas, which have been severely hit by rains and floods.
He said that 50,000 food packets would be distributed among the victims. He said that about 4000,000 to 5000,000 people were affected in the recent heavy rains. The Chairman of NDMA said that 150,000 affected people had been provided accommodation at relief camps.
Zafar Iqbal said that all the relief activities were being carried out on the special directives of the President and the Prime Minister. He said "we are providing all facilities to the people affected by rain and floods in Sindh." He said that federal government is fully supporting the efforts of NDMA to help the flood-stricken people.
He said that a comprehensive strategy would be adopted to co-ordinate with the institutions for helping the calamity hit people. Replying to a question the NDMA chairman said "we will have problems caused by destruction of essential crops." To a question, he said that Army and Navy are also present in the calamity-hit areas to help rescue the people.
To another question, he said that two teams comprising experts would be sent to the rain and flood affected region for collecting data of damages of properties, crops, and other infrastructure. He said that the teams would also prepare a report in to provide information about causes of this huge losses.
Zafar Iqbal said that the teams after compiling data from the districts, and the victims of the rain and floods, would submit these reports to the authorities for further process so that proper system could be developed to minimise the level of destruction caused by natural calamity. He stressed the need for reviving drainage plan in the districts and cities to avert heavy damages in future. Replying to another question regarding food storage, he said that there is no shortage of essential commodity such as wheat in the country.