NDMA asked to evolve mechanism for disaster risk management.

ISLAMABAD -- The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology on Monday directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to utilise modern tools and evolve an implementation mechanism for disaster risk management.

Chairperson of the committee, Senator Rubina Khalid, had especially invited the officials of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to seek their expertise in foreseeing weather patterns and foretelling potential flood threats.

After giving a detailed presentation, the PAF official said the Air Force had advanced expertise in predicting weather condition, but the NDMA had never sought any information in this regard.

Members of the committee inquired if weather prediction was categorised as sensitive information, the answer was negative.

However, NDMA Member Idrees Mehsood tried to convince the committee that the authority had a national emergency plan and the national emergency operation centre was giving its 100pc, but the members refused to listen to him.

Senator Rubina Khalid said: 'We are not here to degrade or downgrade the NDMA, but we all want that it should pool resources and execute emergency plan,'

She suggested that NDMA should seek support to all technical departments particularly from the ministry of IT to develop some communication tool.

Members including Senator Rehman Malik, Senator Rukhsana Zuberi, Senator...