PESHAWAR: Officials from Rescue 1122 emergency service on Friday informed a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi that the monsoon contingency plan had been finalized and water rescue points were being established in various districts.
The meeting reviewed preparedness measures undertaken across the province in anticipation of monsoon rains, potential flooding, and related natural disasters.It was attended by senior officials from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Irrigation, Rescue 1122, Health, Education, Communication and Works, Local Government, Forest, and Tourism departments, along with other relevant agencies.
Detailed briefings were made on departmental preparedness and pre-monsoon interventions.The chief minister directed that evacuation and first-response training for field staff be completed by May 30 and instructed all departments to immediately update contact lists of key officers and field personnel.
He also directed departments to ensure the complete operational readiness of excavators, loaders, tractors, and other emergency machinery.The chief minister directed that verification of the availability and operational readiness of rescue equipment, boats, water pumps, and other emergency response machinery be completed by June 15.
He instructed the Health Department to ensure adequate stocks of medicines, IV fluids, anti-snake venom, ORS, and other emergency medical supplies.The meeting decided that emergency stockpiles of tents, non-food items, medicines, and other relief materials would be pre-positioned before the onset of the monsoon season.
The chief minister directed PDMA to ensure the availability of all required non-food items before June 15 and ordered continuous assessment of the availability and demand for family tents, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, blankets, and other relief supplies.
He directed that resource allocation be prioritized according to district-specific needs and vulnerability indices.The participants were informed that all districts had been instructed to submit updated stock positions to ensure adequate availability of emergency relief supplies prior to the monsoon season.
Relevant departments, including Irrigation, PDMA, and district administrations, have also been directed to operationalize full telemetry access on an immediate basis.The meeting was informed that the process of establishing Community-Based Disaster Risk Management Committees in all 36 districts of the province was nearing completion, with 1,214 out of 1,220 committees already notified.
It was decided that the identification and preparation of relief camps in schools would be completed by May 25.The Education Department informed the meeting that an Education Continuity Plan had been finalized for 185 camp schools.
As part of the public awareness strategy, the meeting decided to disseminate safety advisories, evacuation instructions, and emergency helpline information to the public.The chief minister directed the Peshawar Electric Supply Company and the Forest Department to conduct immediate inspections of electricity poles, transformers, and hazardous trees.
The Forest Department informed the meeting that implementation of the pre-monsoon fire prevention and wood log monitoring plan had already commenced.Sohail Afridi instructed the Communication and Works Department to ensure timely clearance and restoration of roads, and uninterrupted connectivity during emergencies.
He directed the relevant authorities to strengthen signage on national and provincial highways to ensure clearer operational delineation and improved coordination during emergencies.The Tourism Department informed the meeting that monitoring and safety measures had been strengthened at major tourist destinations, including Swat, Kaghan, Galliyat, Chitral, and Kumrat, while 156 Tourism Police personnel had already been deployed at key tourist locations.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that timely and coordinated preparedness measures are critical to safeguarding human lives, public assets, and essential infrastructure from large-scale damage during the monsoon season.
He directed all concerned departments to ensure complete operational readiness in advance.He also directed that all required financial resources be released and utilized in a timely manner to support preparedness operations.
The meeting decided that District Emergency Operation Centres across all districts of the province would remain fully functional, with round-the-clock duty rosters to ensure an immediate and coordinated emergency response mechanism.
The meeting was informed that daily monitoring of glacial lakes, rivers, and rainfall patterns is already underway.A province-wide campaign for the cleaning of drains, seasonal waterways, culverts, and sewerage lines is also in progress.
The chief minister directed that all remaining work be completed by May 30. He instructed the Irrigation Department to accelerate flood protection works, ensure full operationalization of telemetry systems, and intensify anti-encroachment operations along waterways.
