News Details

22/06/2018

Justice Retired Dost Muhammad Khan has ordered to plan scientifically prevention of flood and slowing the melting-down of glaciers

Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice Retired Dost Muhammad Khan has ordered to plan scientifically prevention of flood, slowing the melting-down of glaciers, replicate the internationally accepted formula for dealing the vulnerability and sensitivity of glaciers melting and flood controlling. He stressed on the national policy for crisis response and crisis mitigation policy. Deforestation is the major challenge causing a threat to the nature and the whole echo system. The government needs to have legislative framework for the restoration of natural beauty eroded by mass scale deforestation, encroachment on the natural water flow channels. The conservation of nature, the environmental hazard and the protection of glaciers were of prime concern for the survival of our coming generation, he added. He was addressing a meeting on the contingency plan to meet the expected damages of monsoon, torrential rain, expected damages to human and property losses, the sensitization of relief department, PDMA contingency plan, the role of Rescue 1122 and the overall rescue and rehabilitation plan in time of emergency. Provincial Minister for Information Zafar Iqbal Bangash, Minister Law Asadullah Chamkani and relevant official attended. The Caretaker Chief Minister stressed for national policy for crisis Management, supported by a comprehensive research oriented project otherwise the absence of it would expose us to the damages of natural calamities. It is quite natural that the cruelty to nature would backfire as the nature would become cruel to us. The sooner we are sensitized to the mass scale devastation because of our own deeds, the better it will be to move for damage control and mitigating the damages, he added. He directed to create awareness among the people about the bad impact of the deforestation adding that we should facilitate and encourage the people of forest growing areas to protect their forest. He asked the concerned quarter to plan a research centre to get scientific feedback and even to form an elite force for meeting any eventuality. We need to learn that heat burn has impact in term of glacier melting. This is what the modern research studies indicated. We need to open a research centre to undertake research work on how to control the echo system and the threats to our nature. Such research centre would also replicate the successful experiments of the European and other countries. The mass scale deforestation is the most dangerous thing to do, therefore a comprehensive plan be drawn to be supported by necessary legislation and policy guidelines for the restoration of natural beauty. The international community could help us in this regard adding that we have a constitutionally a limited time tagged mandate and could only give guidelines for the future government. These guidelines would indicate how could we well manage controlling the environmental pollution under the law. The industrial units polluting the environment and the mass scale tree cutting were the main areas of concern. Subsidization of gas and power in the forest growing area would pay. We need to have coordinated efforts and legislation to control the environmental warming, controlling the melting down of glaciers for the survival of our coming generation. He asked certain questions from the experts about the conservation of nature, the efforts at international level and the rate of success in this regard. He assured a policy guideline but he simultaneously asked the experts to create awareness against environmental degradation and restricting all such efforts posing threat to our future. The Caretaker Chief Minister also directed against the illegal encroachments in the natural water flow channels that cause mass scale devastation in the monsoon season. He also directed against the flow of drain water into the canal and river. He also directed to create simple tourism related facilities without planning astronomical spendings that included dustbin, lavatories and camping areas and rest assured the tourists will flood. This sort of facility will create a lot of resources that could be re-spent on the development of those areas. However, the whole society would have to be sensitized to this noble cause. The department should prepare pamphlets, banners and publicity material inscribing in them that anything against the nature would invite the wrath of God Almighty. All departments have their own role to perform and they cannot escape their responsibilities. Mr. Justice Dost Muhammad Khan asked to prepare a joint task force tasking every department of certain responsibilities both for prevention and operational which should be supported by skilled manpower in the case of any emergency. Such task force should have life saving drugs, burn units and added that each division should have a burn centre in order to save precious human lives. He also directed to plan the rehabilitation of mass displacement in case of any emergency. The people should be encouraged to stay away from the rivers however the plan should be for the overall rehabilitation and contingency. He also directed to conduct survey and mapping of all areas being vulnerable to emergencies. Police should be involved in the early warning system. During flood devastation, the relevant department should have the capacity to start its activities in a planned manner. We have to put our society on lines of helping by themselves. He directed for the early computerization of executive record. He also directed for the acceleration of central revenue record in order to give relief to the people and rescue them from unnecessary prolonged litigation. He said that performance of rescue 1122 was up to the mark and the PDMA and irrigation department would have to come up to the expectations, he added.