ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to ensure an ample supply of Paracetamol, anti-snake venom, and anti-diarrhoea medicines in the flood-affected areas.
The committee met with MNA Kishwer Zehra in the chair at the Parliament House on Friday. The committee discussed the flood relief activities and the Civil Servant (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The committee also directed the NDMA to also assess the losses caused to the livelihood of womenfolk due to recent floods.
The committee was briefed by Representative Operations NDMA about the relief and rehabilitation activities carried out during recent floods.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was informed that a total of 1,666 people including 718 males, 333 females and 615 children have been died due to massive floods in the country.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) briefed the committee in detail about the current situation and relief activities after floods in the country. While briefing the committee, the NDMA official said that a total of 12,864 people have been injured including 5,406 males, 3,452 females and 4,006 children.
He said that according to the report, a total of 325 people including 147 males, 80 females, and 98 children have died so far in Balochistan. He said that 747 people including 292 males, 136 females, and 319 children have died in Sindh, while 216 people including 92 males, 48 females, and 76 children have died in Punjab due to floods. He said that 22 people in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and 48 people have died in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
About the flood damage to infrastructure, the NDMA official told the committee that 5.3 million acres of agriculture land were affected while 973,632 cattle heads were killed due to the floods. He said that 13,074-km main roads, 410 bridges, and 105 dams were affected. He said that according to an initial report, a total of two million houses were damaged. He said that as many as 84 districts including 32 of Balochistan, 17 of KP, three of Punjab, 23 of Sindh, nine of Gilgit-Baltistan, and three of Punjab were directly affected by the calamity.
About relief activities, the NDMA official said that 551,000 tents, 3,573,914 mosquito nets and 1,781,046 food packets have been distributed among the flood-affected people across the country.
Answering a question, he said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was at the top of the list, Turkey at second number while China at third which was providing maximum relief goods to Pakistan for flood-affected people.
According to the brief document, a total of Rs46.54 billion cash has been disbursed among the beneficiaries through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
In view of the metrological predictions, more than usual rainfall during the monsoon was expected. However, according to the 30-year rainfall record, different areas of the country received unprecedented rainfall. He further informed that the extent of rain recorded in Sindh province was huge.
He said that Sindh was the worst-affected being at the lower riparian. Apprising the committee about the rescue operations, he informed that affected people were shifted to relief camps and provided them with clothes, food and financial assistance through the assistance of provincial disaster management authorities, Pakistan Army, and private individuals/civil society.
He said that floods had caused major blow to the economy and the assessment was being carried out which will be completed till 15 October. He said that based upon that assessment the federal government and the provincial governments would announce financial assistance packages. He said that rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure is a major challenge for the authorities.
The committee asked the NMDA for ensuring supply of medicines in the flood-affected areas.
The committee pended discussion on the Civil Servants Amendment Bill and the Federal Employees Benevolent and Group Insurance Amendment Bill till the next meeting of the committee.
The committee disposed of the matter raised by Ali Khan Jadoon, MNA and referred it to the committee of the House regarding losses due to rain in Abbottabad. The committee was of the view that the member was continuously absent; however, the measures taken by the NMDA and PDMA KPK were appropriate to provide relief and rehabilitation to the affectees.
While presenting the report of the Sub-Committee of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat regarding the issues of private secretaries of the federal government, the Convener Sub-Committee Mohsin Dawar apprised the Committee that the issues assigned to the Sub Committee were thoroughly discussed and appropriate recommendations had been made. He further informed that the private secretaries were being subjected to discrimination which needs to be addressed.
The committee adopted the report and directed the Establishment and Finance Divisions for submitting their point of view in that regard.
The meeting was attended by MNAs; Muhammad Sajjad, Seema Mohiuddin Jameeli, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, Mussarat Rafiq Mahesar, Muhammad Abu Bakar, Syed Mehmood Shah, Mohsin Dawar, Special Secretary, Establishment Division, Director General Operations NDMA, and senior officers of concerned departments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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