PESHAWAR: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Friday prepared the winter contingency plan 2020-21 as the province faces a range of natural hazards in the winter season.
The natural hazards mentioned in the plan included winter hazards of extreme low temperature, fog, smog, snowfall, rainfall, landslides flashfloods, seismic activity along the mountainous north and west.
According to Director General PDMA Parwaiz Khan natural disasters caused massive losses to people’s life and livelihoods, which retarded economic growth. “Under this contingency plan, the department would make efforts to minimize the losses likely to be caused by the natural disasters,” he said.
The DG said despite vigorous engagement in responding to COVID-19 pandemic, the PDMA is cognizant of the importance of winter preparedness and contingency planning. The authority has worked out winter contingency plan 2020-21 to minimize the impending disaster risk within the province through formulation of a comprehensive plan and its effective and efficient implementation.
The process of Winter Contingency Plan was kick started in mid-October 2020 by involving all stakeholders of the Federal Government, Provincial line departments, district administration and development partners.
Tools for data collection were developed and shared with all stakeholders including information regarding district, sector specific hazards and vulnerability profile, hazard impact, damages, compensation paid, resource mapping, need assessment and coordination.
The Winter Contingency Plan has categorized the districts Vulnerability and Risk Assessment into very high, high, medium and low categories.
Contingency planning for major winter hazards including but not limited to low temperature, fog, smog, snowfall, rainfall, landslide and avalanches shall enable initiation of requisite mitigation measures and under-take a coordinated response to minimize loss of life and property in the event of a disaster. It is a stakeholders’ inclusive exercise that takes stock of what exists in terms of plans and resources, hazard’s analysis to determine the likely relief caseload as a planning assumption. Strategies, objectives, role and coordination mechanism of each stakeholder is defined.
Each weather pattern comes with its own sets of contingencies. The peculiar geography, terrain and natural resources make the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa heir to a number of climate contingencies during both summers and winters.
Some regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa such as Malakand and Hazara Divisions, by virtue of their high altitudes are exposed to weather extremes in winter spreading over five months from December to April.
The low temperature, fog, smog, snowfall, rainfall, landslides, avalanches and the consequent blockade of roads and pathways resulting in inaccessibility of the areas are some of the common features.
The PDMA has initiated a process of introducing proactive preparedness regime under guidelines established by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for streamlining response at provincial and district levels in coordination with all relevant stakeholders.
The process, contingency planning for major hazards, shall enable initiation of requisite mitigation measures and to undertake a coordinated response to minimize the loss of life and property in the events of disasters. It is stakeholders’ inclusive exercise that takes stock of what exists in terms of plans and resources, hazards analysis to determine the likely relief caseloads as a planning assumption. Strategies, objectives, role and coordination aspects of stakeholders are defined in the plan.
Spokesperson PDMA Taimur Ali said winter hazards occurring through December to March were accentuated by heavy precipitation in the upper mountainous regions of the province, he said. Snow avalanches and landslides either target vulnerable communities or isolate them by severing communication.
Based on the emerging situations, response to a major disaster would entail deployment of Rapid Response Force for search and rescue operations and also to provide immediate relief and emergency healthcare.
The aviation assets to provide aerial relief, Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority, communication and works department, National Highway Authority, National Logistic Cell, Frontier Works Organization and Pak Army will be mobilized for early restoration of road communication.
Under the plan, Wapda, PTCL and SNGPL would restore essential telecommunication and energy services and the health department bolsters health response and deploys capacities to preempt onset of epidemics.
During the current winter season extreme low temperature is expected, therefore for provision of shelter to deserving shelter-less segment of the population 61 panagahs with the free transportation, night stay, dinner breakfast and other Necessaries of the daily use are functional.
