May 31, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1429

HYDERABAD, May 30: Parti-cipants of a four-day workshop on “Governance and disaster risk reduction” have been briefed about the factors to be taken care of in case of any eventuality in the district.

It was proposed at the conclusion of the workshop that committees should be formed at union council level and task forces at taluka level in addition to a disaster management committee at district level.

The workshop was organised by the Aga Khan Planning and Building Services of Pakistan in collaboration with Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre at the district council hall.

The national programme manager of the Aga Khan Services, Faisal Farooq Khan, briefed media about the training and knowledge imparted to chairmen of 14 committees of the district council in respect of disaster risk reduction. He said that purpose of the workshop was to protect the city against any kind of disaster. He counted hazards, vulnerability, resources, governance and participation as important factors that must be kept in mind when it comes to disaster handling.

He said that it had been proposed that committees should be formed at UC level besides a task force at taluka level.

A disaster managing committee at district level would take care of disaster related crisis, he added. He said that in case of any disaster, the authorities must have a proper planning at district level besides identification of vulnerable areas. For instance, he said, the city was located on the bank of Indus River therefore authorities must be aware of the fact that which of the area could face threat in case of floods in the river and how people would be evacuated from there.

He said that since the River Indus and its canals were passing through the city therefore authorities must be aware of the fact that these canals could pose a threat to the population in case of floods or a breach.

He said that response teams should also be formed at the UC level. Likewise, he added, monsoon rains and earthquake could lead to a disaster.

District Naib Nazim Zafar Rajput said that without coordination with civil society the district government could not take any initiative in case of a disaster.

He said that disaster management committee had been comprised of elected representatives besides government officials and funds should be allocated by the government in this regard.

He said that in absence of funds the committee would remain ineffective and spoke about damages and destructions on account of heavy rains and earthquake.

He said that in order to avoid these losses district government did not have any resources at hand right now but it is sincere to come up to the expectations of people in case of such an eventuality.