LAHORE: There is no adequate grassroots arrangement for minimising loss to human life and property before a natural calamity like rain or flood hits the country as successive governments have concentrated mainly on spending billions of rupees on rescue and relief measures only after such misfortunes badly hurt people.

This sad state of affairs has been going on since the creation of Pakistan and the latest example is the recent torrential rains and the floods they generated in the river Jhelum and especially the Chenab. People appeared to be at the mercy of the driving rains and monumental flood peaks that claimed well over 200 lives in Punjab and damaged public and private property and crops worth billions of rupees. The loss to public-sector infrastructure has initially been estimated at over Rs10 billion, showing the magnitude of devastation.

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The help from the government came when people were already marooned in north-eastern Punjab especially in Sialkot region. There were rescue operations but teams could not timely reach at many badly hit areas due to rain and subsequent flood peaks. Many people preferred to stay at homes to protect their cattle, stored foodgrains and valuables. A good number of people died in the line of (private) duty.

Downstream the Chenab, the government started forced evacuations to protect lives but the river continued to rampage settlements on its journey towards Sindh.

The officials, who supervised the operations in various flood- and rain-hit areas, say the rescue teams reached the districts which faced the calamity first from areas downstream rivers. And sending outside help became difficult because of the enormity of the situation. People lost their homes and had nothing to eat or drink. And sending them supplies was extremely difficult.

“We learn from accidents. We are providing relief but it is like covering all open manholes after a child drowns in one of them,” said a senior official.

The country has the National Disaster Management Authority at the federal level. And in the province, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority is looking after the entire billions of rupees relief and rehabilitation operations under the direct command of the chief minister. Down in the districts, the PDMA has no operational arrangements though. Under the scheme, DCOs are its representatives who supervise all relief and rescue operations.

The NDMA makes a contingency plan every year and sends it to all provinces which again convey it to the districts. All DCOs are supposed to make plans for events like monsoon rains or floods, engaging civil defence, Rescue 1122, army, volunteers and hospitals whenever required.

But investigations reveal that there is no practice to make adequate arrangements that can help reduce loss to human life and property before a calamity hits, or provide localised full-fledged relief. There is absolutely no institutional arrangement to educate people on how to meet calamities.Officials say the NDMA regularly arranges

training courses which are attended by those nominated by the DCOs. But there are no regular simulation exercises. Officials get training and then forget about it. Even officials who have no role in relief and rescue are send for training. Most DCOs who supervise relief and recue operations feel no need to attend such courses.

There is no think tank who can suggest how to make institutional arrangements through which people and property can be saved before a calamity hits. Those carrying the operations underscore the need for making full-fledged localised arrangements like raising teams of rescuers including swimmers, boatmen and experts in rescuing people from under the debris. A few billion rupees’ investment in providing heavy machinery, boats and other related equipment can also minimise destruction.

Shelter houses should be built at higher places in and around villages where people may automatically shift in case of rain or floods. They should have proper medical, security and feeding arrangements. Similarly, there should be safe places for keeping cattle of the displaced persons.

For Heritage Foundation Chairperson Yaseem Lari, teaching people how to meet calamities can easily safe life and property. “The lesson is not difficult. Just teach them how their ancestors used to protect themselves against floods and rains,” said Ms Lari, who has been doing this in Sindh villages that were badly affected by the superfloods in the mighty Indus in 2010.

Recipient of Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Ms Lari is an engineer by profession and has won laurels in her field and for her commitment to preserve national heritage. She is also the Board member of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority.

According to her, village people should be taught how their ancestors in Mohenjodero used to build safe houses with low-cost bamboo, mud and lime. They should be taught how to store their foodgrains at higher places.

She says women in particular face trouble because of ‘honour-related’ issues. The government should help them locally build mounds if there are not any in the plain areas so that they can shift over there to protect themselves against floods. Women should be engaged for building their centres at higher places where they can take refuge in emergencies.

“We purchase relief goods worth billions of rupees after floods swallow lives and property worth multi-billions of rupees almost every other year. “Stop this. Invest in prevention, and teach people how to survive on a permanent basis. Learn from ‘Heritage’ and go for disaster risk reduction,” she advises.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2014