Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Imran Qureshi chaired a meeting at his office to discuss the pre-arrangements for the upcoming monsoon season and potential floods. The meeting was attended by Director (Coord) Tariq Mehmood Bukhari, Director (PDMA) Shayan Ali Java, Director (Ops) Nisar Ahmad Sani and others.
During the meeting, senior PDMA officers briefed about the arrangements and highlighted that 11 districts have been categorized as category (A) in anticipation of possible floods, while 6 districts have been designated as category (B), and 11 districts as category (C). Additionally, 6 districts have been identified as prone to urban flooding, whereas DG Khan and Rajanpur districts have been marked as sensitive due to the flood situation caused by hill torrents. Mock exercises are also being conducted in all districts to ensure preparedness.
DG PDMA emphasized that all deputy commissioners must submit their contingency plans for the monsoon season and floods to the PDMA by the following week. This will enable the PDMA to issue the provincial contingency plan by June 15. The DG further instructed the deputy commissioners to convene meetings of the district disaster committees and share photographs and minutes of these meetings with the PDMA. Moreover, the concerned officers were urged to conduct joint surveys of river embankments, ensure the re-assessment of machinery used for floods and urban flooding, and submit the relevant certificates to the PDMA.
The DG emphasized the need for all districts to promptly submit their demands for machinery and essential goods to the PDMA so that the necessary supplies could be procured and delivered on time. He also stressed the importance of assigning duties to officers and staff to tackle flood and urban flooding situations and utilizing available resources to eliminate illegal encroachments on waterways. Additionally, he mentioned that the SOPs of the responsibilities of all departments in dealing with emergencies will be presented and approved during the next cabinet meeting.
The DG stated that the provincial control room at the PDMA will closely monitor all flood and monsoon-related situations. Representatives from line departments are expected to increase their presence at the PDMA control room during the flood season, with strict action to be taken in case of non-attendance. He further assured that district emergency operation centers throughout Punjab, including the PDMA's provincial control room, are on high alert for the monsoon season and potential floods.