CM orders comprehensive contingency plan to tackle floods

PESHAWAR, Mar 11 (APP): Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi on Wednesday directed preparing a comprehensive contingency plan for the upcoming summer season in view of possible cloudbursts and flash floods.

He emphasized taking long-term measures at vulnerable locations to effectively deal with potential flooding and prevent loss of life and property.

The CM issued these instructions while chairing a meeting of the Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department held via video link. During the meeting, he also gave in-principle approval for providing the required resources to compensate flood victims and TDPs (Temporarily Displaced Persons).

He directed officials to accelerate the payment process to TDPs in various districts and sought details of the financial shortfall to ensure that affected people receive timely relief.

Officials informed the meeting that recruitment for 1,326 positions in Rescue 1122 will soon be completed. In the second phase, it was also agreed to create 1,125 additional positions.

The CM further instructed the development of a digital dashboard for effective management of human resources and assets and emphasized the need to digitize departmental operations to improve transparency and efficiency.

The meeting also agreed to establish warehouses at divisional headquarters to ensure quick access to relief supplies in emergencies. The CM directed that a meeting of the Provincial Disaster Management Commission be convened and that a detailed working paper be prepared for the purpose.

During the briefing, it was stated that progress is ongoing on establishing Rescue 1122 offices at the tehsil level, and by 2027, such offices will be set up in all tehsils of the province.

Additionally, work is underway on a five-year Disaster Risk Reduction and Provincial Disaster Management Plan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is expected to become the first province in Pakistan to develop such a comprehensive plan.

The CM also ordered that immediately after Ramazan, a strong campaign be launched against encroachments in riverbeds and major cities to improve urban planning and keep routes open for disaster response.