Five focused groups to be constituted for resolving problems: DC.

FAISALABAD -- Five focused groups will be constituted to resolve the immediate nature problems while first meeting is being held on Tuesday to evolve comprehensive scientific and collaborative plan to tackle the long-term infrastructure and developmental issues of Faisalabad in consultation with Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI).

This was said by Deputy Commissioner Faisalabad Imran Hamid Sheikh while addressing the business community.

He said that FCCI will be taken on-board to take ownership of the projects in addition to ensuring its continuity with sustained objectives.

Imran Hamid Sheikh said that the focused groups include FIEDMC, Crisis Management Centre in Clock Tower, Education, Plantation and Parking. 'These groups, with representation of business community, would identify specific issues with tangible solutions while concerned government departments would extend technical help to resolve the same', he said and added that resource constraints would also be highlighted so that the business community could arrange it being its ultimate beneficiary.

He said that the downtown area handles businesses worth billions of rupees which is comparable to any international centre in business volume. He lamented that despite this important economic factor, there was no proper arrangement to deal with any emergency situation. He mentioned a fire incident in Montgomery Bazaar that claimed seven precious lives. He said that he held a meeting in clock tower to analyze the situation and as a first step, a Crisis Management Centre (CMC) has been established where Civil Defence, 1122 and team from Health department will remain available round the clock to give quick response to any emergency in this congested business and commercial area. He quoted an incident of suffocation in which two children died and said that on inquiry, it was reported that masks were available for the rescuers only. He said, "We have decided to arrange masks for the people through the resources of Civil Defence." He said that the buildings in the downtown area were also critically examined in the pretext of emergency. "It revealed that almost all buildings lack mandatory equipment and gadgets to control fire and electric hazards coupled with any emergency exit plan", he said and added that it prompted to formulate an exit plan with sensitization of people to adopt safety measures abruptly in order to avoid loss of lives or property. "All high rise buildings...