Floods and disaster management
BY: SAJJAD AHMED – Hyderabad
THIS is apropos your editorial ‘Flood plans’ (July 27). I regret to say that the authorities concerned have not learnt a lesson from the devastating floods in the last two years. They have not prepared any disaster management plan to counter possible floods this year.
Unfortunately, the people displaced by previous floods are still in misery as they live in makeshift homes.
Despite millions of dollars as relief funds from within and outside Pakistan, the authorities concerned and non-governmental organisations have hardly done enough to feed and shelter the affected people. They had merely given a short-term relief, while the affected people were forgotten later.
Over a million homes and 30,000 hectares of farmland were ripped apart by flash floods and heavy rains in the past two years. But the only response from the authorities concerned was Rs20,000 Watan Cards.
More disappointingly, the roads destroyed by floods in remote villages are yet to be repaired. For example, in Wahi Pandhi village, Dadu, its main road leading to Johi was destroyed by floods in 2010. Even after two years, it is still in bad shape.
As a result, local people face a lot of problems on a daily basis. This shows insincerity on the part of the authorities.
As far as the National Disaster Management Authority is concerned, it has been merely claiming about making plans for tackling floods.
Natural disasters are unpredictable, but the relevant authorities should make a good strategy for post-flood rehabilitation work, such as reconstruction of homes, repairing of roads and, more importantly, financial help for flood-affected people through micro-credit and self-sustained policies, rather than wasting money on Watan Cards.
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