KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday presiding over a cyclone-emergency meeting at CM’s House declared ‘emergency’ in all the districts located along the coastal belt for taking precautionary measures to meet any untoward situation.
“A control room should be established at the chief secretary’s office to keep close coordination with all the districts, in respect of their requirements and giving them necessary instruction on behalf of the government,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Minister Rehabilitation Faraz Dero, Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, SMBR Alamuddin Bullo , ACS Home Usman Chachar, Commissioner Karachi Naveed Shaikh, Secretary Finance Hassan Nqvi, Administrator Karachi Laiq Ahmed, Commander Core Engineering Brig Qazi Nasir, Director Met Office Sarfraz and DG PDMA Salman Shah.
Sindh Irrigation Minister Sohail Siyal, Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah and the deputy commissioners of coastal belt district also attended the meeting through video link.
Director Pakistan Meteorological Department Sardar Sarfraz briefed the chief minister that there was a generic term for non-frontal anti-clockwise rotating weather system with surface wind ranging from 34 to 47 kts. He added that it usually caused three types of impacts, including torrential rains, thunderstorms, high intensity winds and storm surges.
The main source of energy for tropical cyclones is the warm water in tropical regions, he said and added to initiate a tropical cyclone, the sea-surface temperature generally came to 26 degree.
The CM Sindh was told that cyclone classification in Pakistan and South Asia caused different kinds of disturbance.
Gusty winds and damage in detaching fruit from the tree is caused when a depression develops a pressure of 996 hPa/mb with a wind speed of 22 to 27 knots.
When deep depression with a pressure of 986-995 hPa/mb develops with a wind speed of 28 to 33 kts negligible damages are caused to houses, fruit trees, some crops and caravans.
When the cyclonic storm has a pressure of 971-970 hPa/mb along with a wind speed of 34-47 kts it causes minor damages to houses and significant damage to signboards, trees and small crafts.
Severe cyclone storm emerges when a pressure of 930 to 955 hPa/mb with a speed of 64-89 kts and it causes significant structural damage, caravans blow away.
In this way two other categories are extremely Severe Cyclonic storm and Super Cyclonic Storm which cause extensive damage to house, power and communication lines.
There are two possible tracks of the cyclone, the chief minister was told. If the cyclone crosses Indian Gujrat, then its outer peripheral effect would be on Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umerkot and Sanghar districts. Thatta, Badin and Mirpurkhas would receive a heavy rainfall of 70 to 90 mm each, Umerkot 80 to 100 while Tharparkar would receive very heavy rainfall of 230 to 250 mm.
In case the cyclone crosses North West and crosses West of Karachi then its outer peripheral effect would be on Karachi, Hub, Lasbela, Hyderabad and Jamshoro districts. Karachi may receive 60 to 80 mm rainfall, Hyderabad 30 to 50 mm, Jamshoro 150-170 mm, Dadu 180 to 200 mm, Bela and Sukkur 80 to 100 each and Jacobabad 60 to 80 mm.
DG PDMA Salman Shah told the meeting that the depression over Southeast Arabian has intensified into a cyclonic storm `TAUKTAE’ and lay centered at 0800 PST of 15 May 2021 near latitude 12.7N and longitude 72.3E, at a distance of about 1460 km South-Southeast of Karachi. Maximum sustained winds around the system centre are 90-110 Kmph gusting to 120 Kmph.
The system is likely to intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS) during next 12-18 hours and move in north-northwest direction and reach Indian Gujarat by May 18 morning.
Under the influence of this system, widespread heavy to very heavy dust/thunderstorm-rains with gusty winds of 80-100 Kmph are likely to occur in Thatta, Badin, Thar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Sanghar districts from May 17 to 20, 2021.
Dust/thunderstorm-rains with few heavy falls and gusty winds of 50-70 Kmph are also likely in Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benzirabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Dadu during 18-20 May, 2021.
The sea conditions would be rough to very rough and fishermen are advised not to venture in the sea during May 16 to 20, 2021.
Keeping in view the presentation given to him by the Met office and PDMA, the chief minister directed the administration in Karachi to start clearing all the choking points of nullas.
He directed Commissioner Karachi Naveed Shaikh and Administrator KMC Laiq Ahmed to start removing all the billboards, neo-signs and ask the builders to make precautionary measures for security of their under -structure buildings.
He directed PDSMA to provide dewatering machines, generators to the district administration in the city and in the other districts where required.
Syed Murad Ali Shah directed fishermen not to go in the deep sea for fishing from Sunday.
The chief minister directed the chief secretary to set up a Control Room in his office and post a BS-19 offer as its head to receive requirements from the districts and issue necessary instructions to the administration on behalf of the government.
The chief minister directed Tharparkar district administration to take extraordinary measures because it was expected to receive very heavy rains. All the district administrations should make alternate accommodation arrangements, in case shifting of the people becomes necessary.
The chief minister directed the chief secretary to seek the requirement of funds from the district administration and ensure timely releases. The district administration was also directed to set up control rooms in their districts.
The chief minister also issued directives to the Irrigation minister to declare emergency in his department and keep proper mentoring of the embankments of the canals and distributaries.
Syed Murad Ali Shah directed Minister Local Government Nasir Shah and Minister Rehabilitation Faraz Dero to stay in Karachi and personally monitor each and every arrangement.