PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah on Monday directed relevant departments to take precautionary measures in view of the looming threats posed by monsoon rains and potential Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in mountainous areas.
An official handout said he issued the directives while chairing a meeting to review preparedness and preemptive actions for dealing with any emergency situation arising from heavy rains and glacier-related hazards.
Officials briefed the meeting on ongoing preparations across the province. It was informed that the cleaning of drainage channels was underway, while the Irrigation Department had so far reclaimed 703 kanals of land from water flow paths and removed 227 illegal structures obstructing natural waterways.
The meeting was apprised that Rescue 1122 had finalised its preparedness plan across the province, including for 17 flood-prone districts that were affected in previous years.As part of these preparations, special mock drills will be conducted during the current month to enhance emergency response capacity, while trained divers will remain available round the clock.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has ensured adequate stockpiling of relief goods to respond promptly in case of any untoward situation.The chief secretary directed authorities to ensure that early warning systems in mountainous regions remain fully functional.
He emphasised the need for re-evaluation and testing of these systems to guarantee the timely dissemination of alerts to the maximum number of people in case of emergencies. He also instructed that local communities be kept regularly informed about weather conditions and potential risks.
Shahab Ali Shah ordered strict enforcement of Section 144 along riverbanks to prevent risks during the monsoon season.He directed deputy commissioners to ensure the availability of essential commodities and maintain close coordination among departments.
MANSEHRA: The Upper Kohistan administration reviewed the situation regarding possible GLOFs to effectively deal with any untoward situation in the district.“We have visited the GLOF early warning units in the mountainous Kandia Valley to adopt additional precautionary measures to effectively deal with any calamity that may occur during the monsoon season, particularly in flood-prone Kandia tehsil,” Azizullah Jan, Deputy Commissioner of Upper Kohistan, told reporters.
A team comprising officials from various departments, led by Azizullah Jan, visited early GLOF warning stations installed at six locations in the calamity-prone Kandia Valley of Upper Kohistan district.
“I appeal to the people of Kandia tehsil and the rest of the district to remain vigilant against any natural calamity during the monsoon season. The administration is adopting all possible measures to tackle such situations,” the deputy commissioner said.
Residents of Kandia, who had suffered loss of life and large-scale destruction of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure in the past, also gathered during the deputy commissioner’s visit and apprised him of their experiences.
