All the provinces have expressed dissatisfaction with the way relief and early recovery and USAID projects have been planned and are being executed in the provinces, planning division has observed.
In a recent meeting with planning division, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) stated despite clear instructions from NDMA that NGOs, INGOs and other foreign agencies must obtain NOC from the provincial authorities for development projects federating units are not fully satisfied with the execution of development projects.
Currently, under the co-ordination of NDMA 397 projects worth1.9 billion dollars, covering relief and early recovery phase planned and entirely funded by foreign partners through UN, are under implementation by various NGOs and across the country and are being monitor by UN Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs Division and NDMA jointly have endorsed all projects which are part of Pakistan Floods Emergency, Relief and Early Recovery Response Plan (PFERRP) in keeping with the government priorities. The matter related to the reconstruction and rehabilitation activities was discussed in the meeting of National Oversight Disaster Management Council (NODMA).
The council recommended that the third party monitoring of projects is need of the time to ensure transparency in execution of projects, therefore, one percent of the total project cost must be dedicated for this purpose. The meeting also learnt that various governments and federal ministries present difference figures with regards to availability of funds and estimates while pushing their cases. It becomes very difficult to draw a true picture of the damages at reconstruction stage.
During council's meeting representatives from Sindh and Balochistan also pleaded that federal government is delaying in release of funds. Even the releases of Rs 2.5 billion announced by the President Asif Ali Zardari is not been matured. NDMA also highlighted some of the potential disaster areas, which need to be addressed on emergency basis. Like, another big land slide in Hunza Valley, on the pattern of making of Atabad Lake is in offing.
It is time to study how its fall out effects can be minimised. Balochistan may suffer from moderate to severe drought in coming years. There is a visible earthquake fault line passing through Chaman Town Balochistan but no building codes are being adopted to mitigate its effects in case of a jolt in future. Delay and negligence in closing up the 'river breaches' in Sindh can make havoc in future.