LAHORE: The ‘Flood Control Room’ established in the Punjab Civil Secretariat is still functioning when the floods are over and there is hardly any utility of it.

It is established in the central committee room of the secretariat and officials of departments concerned like irrigation, health, livestock, food, communication and works (C&W), DGPR, Rescue 1122, and Punjab Information Technology Board are still performing their duties there from 8am to 8pm daily without any flood to monitor.

There has been no meeting in the control room for the past one week as the government’s focus has shifted from monitoring floods to relief and rescue operations.

Sources said the officials deputed at the ‘control room’ had no work to do there, and should be allowed to return to their respective departments for routine duty.

As all figures pertaining to the flood affected people and property were available with the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), there was no need to maintain the control room, they said.

Published in Dawn, October 1st , 2014