PDI Flood Advocacy team holds meeting with - Thatta DDMA Focal person.

Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) Pakistan Flood Humanitarian Advocacy project team   members comprised of PDI Media Coordinator Faheem Raza & PDI research officer Saleem Abbasi on Tuesday 29.05.2012 held meeting with Assistant Deputy Commissioner Habibullah Pahanwar who is a district focal person of District Disaster Management Authority.

The agenda of meeting was disaster contingency plan drafted by district administration and preparedness of administration plan to cope with predicted onset monsoon rain disaster , repairing of weak vulnerable embankments , budget allocations issues and challenges faced by administration , coordination with federal relief agencies and provincial lines departments , unaddressed issues of Watan Cards and capacity building of revenue staff to further strengthen Disaster District Management Authority .

 Deputy Commissioner Mr, Habibullah Pahanwar shared with PDI team that district administration keeping in view of previous disasters experiences revised its Disaster Contingency Plan and sent to PDMA and Sindh relief Department. He had shared copy of 2012 disaster contingency Plan to PDI team and said that administration sent it to PDMA approval from PDMA it would be displayed on district administration website and on PDMA website.

He added that due to lack of judicial magistrate powers to revenue staff  in past disaster situations they faced difficulties to rescue communities and sought help from police and rangers  to evacuate communities from prone disasters areas .

He added that district administration does not have enough resources for training revenue staff and due to lack of commitment of local lawmakers’ and rampant political involvement and transfers and postings of officials who have well trained, district administration officials are facing difficulties to further strengthen the capacity building of revenue staff and implemented early warning systems at Tehsils and village levels as per international standards.

Speaking on mechanism of warning he added that district administration had decided that departments such as Civil Defense, Metrology, Revenue, Irrigation, Social Welfare, police and information would be established and upgrade early warning system and pass on warnings of disasters directly to Deputy Commissioner that will pass on the chairman of DDMA and to media after DDMA chairman will call an emergency meeting of all members departments.

To avoid chaotic situation district administration had decided that the district information officer is responsible to disseminate   disaster situation information to media and public and deputy commissioner will give media briefings and interviews with key personnel and media channels for proper dissemination of the information regarding disaster situation in order to reduce the losses.

   He shared that past evacuation experience they felt that due to lack judicial and magistrate powers to revenue staff they were unable to evacuate communities in a smooth manner and local notable did not cooperate with other relief agencies staffs.

He added that after receiving instructions from NDMA, PDMA district administration in its limited resources had taken precautionary measures to cope with upcoming onset Monsoon threat and pointed out relief camps and staff responsibilities, identification of weak and venerable embankments, camps identification and demanded adequate budget and logistics support, food, shelter and transport requirements and copy is attached in 2012 contingency plan. He added that district administration had  been issued direction s  to Taulka municipal administration , Agriculture and Livestock , Army , Finance department , Health , Irrigation , police, Revenue , Social Welfare , Works and Service  and indentified the role and responsibilities of member of departments at district level and role and responsibilities of different group of offices during pre – Disaster, during disaster and post disaster situation