PDMA issues monitoring guidelines for flow of water in nullahs and rivers of the province
JAVED KHAN
PESHAWAR
Four people were killed and six suffered injuries in rain-related incidents on Thursday across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) updated report issued on Friday showed that as a result of heavy rains more than ten houses were also partially damaged in KP.
The PDMA asked the district administrations of the province to keep alert their concerned departments for carrying out relief operations.
The Director General PDMA has also issued guidelines for a close monitoring of water flow of drains, streams and rivers during forecast rainstorms for the ongoing week in the province.
He said that people living in low-lying and sensitive areas of the province should be specially informed about the ongoing situation due to torrential rains.
The vulnerable population should be shifted to safe places allocated the authority, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the rainstorm on Thursday lashed different districts of the province and caused a flood-like situation in Peshawar.
According to the Met Office, Takht Bhai tehsil of Mardan received 42 millimeters of rain, Peshawar 38, Bannu 24, Cherat, 20 Balakot three and Kakul one in the day.
Tank, Dera-Ismail Khan, North and South Waziristan, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karrak, Kohat, Hangu, Orakzai, Kurram, Khyber Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi district among the districts where the Met office has forecast heavy rain for Friday (today).
Following the current monsoon rains alert, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed authorities concerned to remain on high alert at all times to effectively deal with the possible flood situation in the province.
Moreover, Pakistan meteorological department Islamabad has also issued a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) advisory on July, 19 for certain districts of KP.
“Due to persistent high temperature during this week in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the flow of rivers streams will increase and there is a high probability of triggering GLOF events/Flash floods, in the vulnerable snow and glaciated areas of GB and KP,” it stated.
CM-KP, earlier this week, has directed the concerned department to take concerted measures and ensure assistance in all sensitive and low-lying areas of the province.
In light of the special aforementioned directives, PDMA has issued a formal letter to the health department and all deputy commissioners in which all concerned authorities have been directed to take concrete steps for the protection, rescue and relief of the public in the current weather situation of expected rains.
They have been further directed by the authority to ensure dewatering of the flood areas and clearance of roads through provision of requisite machinery.
The spokesperson of PDMA has said that in any case of emergency, PDMA’s Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) is fully operational and the public should report any untoward incident to 1700.
