Floods damage 1.17 million homes: NDMA report
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) informed the Senate Standing Committee on Planning on Friday that the severe floods had damaged more than 1.17 million homes, 243,733,488 heads of livestock, and 5,063 kilometers of roadways.
Senator Attaur Rehman served as the standing committee’s chairman throughout its meeting.
Dinesh Kumar asked why the planning minister wasn’t present at the meeting and said it shouldn’t be treated lightly.
The planning secretary revealed to the group that 26 districts in Balochistan had been affected after the NDMA informed them of the devastation brought on by the floods. He stated that 400 small dams will be constructed and that aerial surveys were now being carried out to assess the situation following the flood.
He added that Rs1.2 billion had been disbursed among them by Wednesday and that the government had paid cash assistance directly into the accounts of flood victims.
The committee members claimed that even the areas spared from the flooding suffered because of cut-off roads and the fact that power had not yet been fully restored in several places.
The planning secretary urged the NDMA to assume responsibility, stating that they provided assistance for 15 days. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the provincial governments have made preliminary estimates.
Floods damage 1.17 million homes: NDMA report
Only 3mm of rain was recorded at two locations on Friday, according to NDMA authorities, despite the fact that the rains in the Sulaiman Mountains lasted 20 days. The rains this year were heavier than anticipated, they stated, adding that comparable weather patterns were not anticipated this month.
The Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission was putting together a damage report, officials informed the gathering.
The committee requested the report at its subsequent meeting.
The airport in Dera Ismail Khan would be more suitable than Bannu because of its ideal location, according to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) representatives who also mentioned that they looked at the airport from a commercial perspective in addition to the arrival of large planes earlier during the meeting.
According to the planning secretary, Pakistan’s entire development budget is Rs 2,200 billion, of which Rs 700 billion goes to the federal government and Rs 1,500 billion to the provinces. He said that the cost of projects was rising as a result of the spike in inflation.
He added that a public-private partnership would be used to build the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, which would cost Rs308 billion, with only an investment of Rs8 to Rs10 billion from the government.
He continued by saying that several abandoned infrastructure projects would be revived through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
