District Level Consultative workshop- Status of Contingency Planning in Mirpurkhas District.

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) and Oxfam Novib on Wednesday 18.07-2012   organized a joint “One Day District Level Consultative Workshop on Status of Disaster Contingency Planning in District Mirpurkhas” which was held at local hotel.  

Additional Commissioner of Mirpurkhas District Agha Nabeel Akthar was chief guest in workshop while from PDI,  Saleem Abbasi ,  Ameer Ali Shar from Bhandar Harri Sangat, Jaggarta Khalid Babar , Save The Children District Coordinator Inumallah Khan , Press Club Mirpurkhas senior journalist , Qamar-ud-din , Mirpurkhas Bar Association former general secretary, Naeem Talupr and other civil society,  local NGOs representatives and concern department officials and community leaders from rain affected taulkas spoke and participated in workshop .Community leaders from rain affected taulkas of districts asked various queries and gave suggestions to government officials to resolve their unaddressed issues and gave suggestions to incorporate their suggestions to tackle anticipated monsoon hazards in district.   

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) and Oxfam Novib on Wednesday 18.07-2012   organized a joint “One Day District Level Consultative Workshop on Status of Disaster Contingency Planning in District Mirpurkhas” which was held at local hotel.  Additional Commissioner of Mirpurkhas District Agha Nabeel Akthar was chief guest in workshop while from PDI,  Saleem Abbasi ,  Ameer Ali Shar from Bhandar Harri Sangat, Jaggarta Khalid Babar , Save The Children District Coordinator Inumallah Khan , Press Club Mirpurkhas senior journalist , Qamar-ud-din , Mirpurkhas Bar Association former general secretary, Naeem Talupr and other civil society,  local NGOs representatives and concern department officials and community leaders from rain affected taulkas spoke and participated in workshop .Community leaders from rain affected taulkas of districts asked various queries and gave suggestions to government officials to resolve their unaddressed issues and gave suggestions to incorporate their suggestions to tackle anticipated monsoon hazards in district.   

PDI research officer said that purpose of PDI and Oxfam Novib holding this on District Disaster Contingency Plan 2012 to incorporate suggestions of communities and created awareness among all key stakeholders of district including different segments   of civil society representatives to raise those issues which were not highlighted in District Disaster Contingency Plan 2012 prepared by district administration.       

PDI  is strongly believe in Participatory approach and firm believe that district administration adopting participatory approach to involve communities at grass root levels can effectively make Disaster Contingency Plan 2012 to mitigate risks of natural hazards in district .

  Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) research officer Saleem Abbasi in his introduction of workshop told participants of workshop regarding PDI and said that before drafting the 2012 Disaster Contingency Plan  , PDI team held advocacy meetings with district administrations, civil society representatives .Presenting his analytical view on District Disaster 2012 Contingency Plan drafted by district administration and presented brief description of district and said that district has comprised of six Taulka    Mirpurkhas, Sindhri, Hussain Bux Mari, Kot Ghulam Muhammad, Digri and Jhudo.

He shared participants of workshop of major components of Disaster Contingency Planning and after presented his analysis on 2012 Disaster Contingency Plan Drafted by District Administration.  He added that government has mentioned same low lying areas and vulnerable points, roles and responsibilities which were mentioned in 2011 Disaster Contingency Plan drafted by district administration.He added that even in 2011 district administration has worst experience of rain flooding in both rural and urban areas of district but it’s shocking that in 2012 disaster contingency Planning District administration did not define Scenarios Building.    He added that in action plan district administration did not mention about to remove encroachments from old natural water ways and how it would be restore Dhoro Puran. He added that there is no participation of community voice and suggestions despite in 2011 communities suffered due to ill conceived disaster contingency planning of district administration. He added that district administration even not mentioned budget estimates for disaster preparedness and measures have neither been specified nor allocated against the contingency plan 2012. He added that no names of the high surface areas have been mentioned in the Contingency Plan where as low lying areas have been mentioned. He added that situation of the inventory of the relief items, necessary supplies and equipments and volunteer trained staff did not mention in 2012 Disaster Contingency Plan made by district administration. There is lack of coordination among flood related departments and no effective working relationship between District Administrations and SIDA found to remove the irrigation vulnerable points in the District. District Administrations can just propose where as the implementation is the issue. Mohammad Saleem Abbasi said that government had prepared contingency plan but without taking confidence and incorporating suggestions of communities’ district administration in case of heavy rain flooding not implemented it and to mitigate the losses of  rain flooding in absence of sold contingency according to standards well defined  by international humantrain relief agencies .     

Advocate Naeem Talupr former secretary of Mirpurkhas Bar Association has said district administration has not consulted with representatives of civil society organizations to make disaster contingency planning for district 2012.He said that even there is lack of coordination among administration departments and there is no understanding between SCDA, Irrigation and District administration. He added mostly district Mirpurkhas affected due to poor planning and development of district administrations. He added that district administration only encroachments from old natural water ways removing huts of poor people but not read to demolish illegal construction and occupation of land of old water ways by big land lords and influential persons of district.  

Qamar Senior Journalist of Dawn despite district administration has spent lot funds on repairing of breaches but did very sub-standard work in district. He added that due to silt deposited in water canals and drainage system communities have faced disaster in 2011 rain flood and it was manmade disaster not natural disaster. He added that more than fifteen years desilting work  in canals carried out by district administration after 2011 rain flooding .

He suggested that district administration not cut budget which allocated for disaster preparedness and not diverted budget which allocated for disaster related plans. He added that in district administration 50 percent work was done disaster related departments in districts of damaged infrastructure.Director Jagirta organization Khalid Babbar said that district administration did not take into confidence to the masses and civil society in preparing the contingency plan of the district while he expressed his grievances regarding ongoing desilting work of LBOD drains and Natural ways of water.

Khalid Babbar Jaggarta organization, local organizations held series of meeting with local administration but administration never shared contingency plan with civil society representatives. He added that communities always suffered during the rain flood devastation and he added that still administration not provided any compensate to those who lost their lives during rain flood 2011. He added that old Purhan water way has capacity of 50thousand causes but district administration is not taking proper measure to remove encroachments from old water ways.

Qazi Inumallah Khan Save The Children,  two major  crops were damaged in 2011 rain flood devastation and its affected six taulkas  and majority of people in rural areas are food insecure .

Inumallah Khan of Save the children NGO, said that so far breaches of LBOD drains could not completely be plugged by irrigation drainage department in district Mirpurkhas and district administration should provide correct map of district Mirpurkhas for preparation of any kind of plant . He said that 40 raise platform were being constructed at different places to save the masses from any flood condition by Save the children while raises schools were also being provided facilities including bathrooms, drinking water etc so that in future IDPs could get basic facilities in flood camps . He suggested that district administration should setup control room in safer areas keeping in view of experience of past flooding in district and said during 2011 rain flooding district control room office was submerged under heavy rain water 

 He said that during 2011 rain flooding humanitarian organizations have observed that both revenue and education departments staff were well connected with communities and there is need of to setup separate roasters of education and health staffs in each taulka of district .

He added that district administration further strengthen capacity buildings of school headmasters to train them that they can maintain properly registration record of IDPS.He added that relief camps should be established in those government buildings which are located at safer places and have boundary walls and have proper facilities of electricity. 

  Ameer Ali Shar of Bhandar Harri Sangat charged  that mostly administrative officers were corrupt and they were unable to implement on contingency plan with sincerity while stressed need to own the problems even on village level to face any kind of disasters. He further said that people should themselves act for their safety during any disasterAmmer Bakash Shar – 2011 rain flood was manmade in district and due to encroachments on old water ways rain flood water was stagnant in rural and urban areas.

 Additional deputy commissioner Mirpurkhas ii, Agha Nabeel Akthar said that natural disasters increasing in the world as recently different countries were already facing flood and other kind of disasters. He expressed that there were different causes of disasters including increasing temperature of earth and melting of ice of mountains. He told that state was help within its resources to the disaster victims while provided infrastructures, constructions of dams, roads, electricity, food etc. However all the masses should be aware already the risk of disaster and face bravely any disaster by adopting precautionary measures.

He added that it’s not responsibility of lawmakers of Sindh to do development works but they are assigned to do legislation but district administration due to political involvement not implemented its designed plans to remove encroachments from old water ways. Participants of workshop adopted charter of demands in workshop which read out by PDI Saleem Abbasi and presented to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Mirpurkhas District.

PDI research officer said that purpose of PDI and Oxfam Novib holding this on District Disaster Contingency Plan 2012 to incorporate suggestions of communities and created awareness among all key stakeholders of district including different segments   of civil society representatives to raise those issues which were not highlighted in District Disaster Contingency Plan 2012 prepared by district administration.       

PDI  is strongly believe in Participatory approach and firm believe that district administration adopting participatory approach to involve communities at grass root levels can effectively make Disaster Contingency Plan 2012 to mitigate risks of natural hazards in district .

  Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) research officer Saleem Abbasi in his introduction of workshop told participants of workshop regarding PDI and said that before drafting the 2012 Disaster Contingency Plan  , PDI team held advocacy meetings with district administrations, civil society representatives .Presenting his analytical view on District Disaster 2012 Contingency Plan drafted by district administration and presented brief description of district and said that district has comprised of six Taulka    Mirpurkhas, Sindhri, Hussain Bux Mari, Kot Ghulam Muhammad, Digri and Jhudo.

He shared participants of workshop of major components of Disaster Contingency Planning and after presented his analysis on 2012 Disaster Contingency Plan Drafted by District Administration.  He added that government has mentioned same low lying areas and vulnerable points, roles and responsibilities which were mentioned in 2011 Disaster Contingency Plan drafted by district administration.He added that even in 2011 district administration has worst experience of rain flooding in both rural and urban areas of district but it’s shocking that in 2012 disaster contingency Planning District administration did not define Scenarios Building.    He added that in action plan district administration did not mention about to remove encroachments from old natural water ways and how it would be restore Dhoro Puran. He added that there is no participation of community voice and suggestions despite in 2011 communities suffered due to ill conceived disaster contingency planning of district administration. He added that district administration even not mentioned budget estimates for disaster preparedness and measures have neither been specified nor allocated against the contingency plan 2012. He added that no names of the high surface areas have been mentioned in the Contingency Plan where as low lying areas have been mentioned. He added that situation of the inventory of the relief items, necessary supplies and equipments and volunteer trained staff did not mention in 2012 Disaster Contingency Plan made by district administration. There is lack of coordination among flood related departments and no effective working relationship between District Administrations and SIDA found to remove the irrigation vulnerable points in the District. District Administrations can just propose where as the implementation is the issue. Mohammad Saleem Abbasi said that government had prepared contingency plan but without taking confidence and incorporating suggestions of communities’ district administration in case of heavy rain flooding not implemented it and to mitigate the losses of  rain flooding in absence of sold contingency according to standards well defined  by international humantrain relief agencies .     

Advocate Naeem Talupr former secretary of Mirpurkhas Bar Association has said district administration has not consulted with representatives of civil society organizations to make disaster contingency planning for district 2012.He said that even there is lack of coordination among administration departments and there is no understanding between SCDA, Irrigation and District administration. He added mostly district Mirpurkhas affected due to poor planning and development of district administrations. He added that district administration only encroachments from old natural water ways removing huts of poor people but not read to demolish illegal construction and occupation of land of old water ways by big land lords and influential persons of district.  

Qamar Senior Journalist of Dawn despite district administration has spent lot funds on repairing of breaches but did very sub-standard work in district. He added that due to silt deposited in water canals and drainage system communities have faced disaster in 2011 rain flood and it was manmade disaster not natural disaster. He added that more than fifteen years desilting work  in canals carried out by district administration after 2011 rain flooding .

He suggested that district administration not cut budget which allocated for disaster preparedness and not diverted budget which allocated for disaster related plans. He added that in district administration 50 percent work was done disaster related departments in districts of damaged infrastructure.Director Jagirta organization Khalid Babbar said that district administration did not take into confidence to the masses and civil society in preparing the contingency plan of the district while he expressed his grievances regarding ongoing desilting work of LBOD drains and Natural ways of water.

Khalid Babbar Jaggarta organization, local organizations held series of meeting with local administration but administration never shared contingency plan with civil society representatives. He added that communities always suffered during the rain flood devastation and he added that still administration not provided any compensate to those who lost their lives during rain flood 2011. He added that old Purhan water way has capacity of 50thousand causes but district administration is not taking proper measure to remove encroachments from old water ways.

 Qazi Inumallah Khan Save The Children,  two major  crops were damaged in 2011 rain flood devastation and its affected six taulkas  and majority of people in rural areas are food insecure .

Inumallah Khan of Save the children NGO, said that so far breaches of LBOD drains could not completely be plugged by irrigation drainage department in district Mirpurkhas and district administration should provide correct map of district Mirpurkhas for preparation of any kind of plant . He said that 40 raise platform were being constructed at different places to save the masses from any flood condition by Save the children while raises schools were also being provided facilities including bathrooms, drinking water etc so that in future IDPs could get basic facilities in flood camps . He suggested that district administration should setup control room in safer areas keeping in view of experience of past flooding in district and said during 2011 rain flooding district control room office was submerged under heavy rain water. 

  He said that during 2011 rain flooding humanitarian organizations have observed that both revenue and education departments staff were well connected with communities and there is need of to setup separate roasters of education and health staffs in each taulka of district .

He added that district administration further strengthen capacity buildings of school headmasters to train them that they can maintain properly registration record of IDPS.

He added that relief camps should be established in those government buildings which are located at safer places and have boundary walls and have proper facilities of electricity.   Ameer Ali Shar of Bhandar Harri Sangat charged  that mostly administrative officers were corrupt and they were unable to implement on contingency plan with sincerity while stressed need to own the problems even on village level to face any kind of disasters. He further said that people should themselves act for their safety during any disaster  Ammer Bakash Shar – 2011 rain flood was man-made in district and due to encroachments on old water ways rain flood water was stagnant in rural and urban areas.

 Additional deputy commissioner Mirpurkhas ii, Agha Nabeel Akthar said that natural disasters increasing in the world as recently different countries were already facing flood and other kind of disasters. He expressed that there were different causes of disasters including increasing temperature of earth and melting of ice of mountains. He told that state was help within its resources to the disaster victims while provided infrastructures, constructions of dams, roads, electricity, food etc. However all the masses should be aware already the risk of disaster and face bravely any disaster by adopting precautionary measures.

He added that it’s not responsibility of lawmakers of Sindh to do development works but they are assigned to do legislation but district administration due to political involvement not implemented its designed plans to remove encroachments from old water ways. Participants of workshop adopted charter of demands in workshop which read out by PDI Saleem Abbasi and presented to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Mirpurkhas District.

 end.,