January 03, 2008	Thursday	Zilhaj 23, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: The Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) plan to set up a disaster management cell is yet to see the light of the day.

Witnessing substantial loss of life due to the collapse of Margalla Towers in Islamabad as a result of the devastating earthquake in October 2005, the Authority had announced to set up its own disaster management cell to cope with any such tragedy in the future.

The Authority had planned to purchase a large fleet of vehicles, fire-fighting equipment and direly needed rescue machinery.

The Authority had sought help for the project from the capital administration, police, traffic police, Civil Defence and several other departments and asked them to nominate their focal persons to take part in the process.

The Authority had also allocated handsome amount for the project in its annual budget for fiscal 2006-07, which was however missing in the recent budget for 2007-08, while the project still awaits implementation.

A PC-1 of the project being funded under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) envisages procurement of 36 fire- fighting vehicles and ambulances at a cost of Rs600.11 million.

When contacted, CDA Director Municipal Administration Momin Agha said that the Authority had hired the staff for the cell who were being trained in different fields. He said a disaster management training academy would be established in sector H-11 on 38 acres.

The complex would include an Urban Rescue Centre, fire sub stations, canine centre for 20 dogs, three rubble grounds for training, 60 residential flats, horse riding school and playgrounds.

Mr Agha said the PC-1 of the academy was under process and added that the complex would be completed by December 2008. He said the Authority had purchased two 68-metre aerial ladders from Finland.

He said the Authority had hired the services of 250 workers for the cell out of required 550. He said that experts from Sweden and Norway would impart training to the staffers in fire and rescue operation.

The director, Municipal Administration, said that the project comprises several departments, hence it would take another one year to be completed.

He said that authority would purchase state-of-the-art machinery including lifters, cutters, draggers and cranes.

The official said that the project would consist of six departments, including vulnerability assessment, planning, institutional framework and information system, resource base, warning system, response system and public education. It also included two operation rooms including emergency field control room (EFCM) and emergency control room (ECM) to be activated in case of emergency.—APP