Heatwave precautionary measures.

Byline: Muhammad Zahid Rifat

UNPRECEDENTED heaviest rains and flash floods in the rivers last year had hit almost one third of Pakistan in Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces and had caused massive losses and damages. It was something nightmarish for everyone in the country. Almost 1731 people had lost their lives, more than 12000 were injured, standing crops over a couple of lakhs acres of land were washed away, large number of houses were either washed away or extensively damaged in the affected areas, numerous structures, brides and roads were also uprooted or swept away.

The massive devastation, which was much more than 2020 floods, was mostly caused due to unpreparedness on the part of the federal and provincial government agencies and departments concerned to say the least. By and large, the people were also caught by this onslaught but of heavy rains and floods.

It is good to note and worth appreciable that the federal and provincial governments' concerned departments, agencies and others have learnt a lot from the massive devastation caused by the unprecedented, unexpected and even unscheduled heavy rains and floods of 2022 which were caused by climate change and heatwave through melting of the snow glaciers and bursting of the snow clouds .

National Disaster Management Authority (NDA), the apex body for dealing with the natural disasters and taking remedial measures, has already issued somewhat comprehensive guidelines for all concerned down the line at the federal and provincial levels alerting them in advance to be all prepared for the upcoming summer season this year.

The NDMA guidelines have cautioned all that with the onset of summer season, heatwaves, forest fires and glacier lake outburst flood events can be expected to happen and occur across the country respectively in the hazard prone areas. Based on the vulnerability of different regions the impacts as such can vary hence requiring requisite preparations by the respective disaster management authorities , rescue agencies, line departments and administrations at the federal and provincial levels, in Gilgit-Baltistan as well as Islamabad Capital Territory.

All these agencies, health departments, line departments, rescue agencies, armed forces, federal ministries and departments have been directed to undertake proactive measures on a priority basis to ensure timely preparations and response against likely hazards.

In case of heatwave, Provincial Disaster...