LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to benefit from the expertise of the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) to mitigate effects of climate change and deal with natural calamities such as floods, droughts and earthquakes.

It has also decided to adopt strategy of risk assessment before any disaster so as to save precious lives and infrastructure.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the NDRMF that was presided over by Chief Secretary Azam Suleman Khan at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by NDRMF CEO retired Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmad, Chief of Staff Mohy-ud-din Ahmad Wani, Fawad Hayat, Senior Member Board of Revenue Babar Hayat Tarar, Planning and Development chairman Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh, Secretary Environment Saima Saeed and officers concerned.

The chief secretary asked the NDRMF officials to help the Punjab government evolve a comprehensive policy for revitalisation of the river Ravi, controlling environmental pollution and flooding at the river Sawan. This policy would include measures to deal with issues of smog, fog, disposal of industrial waste, vehicular emissions, and water and air pollution, he added.

He said the the NDRMF experts should extend technical assistance to the Punjab government, adding that the provincial departments concerned would closely coordinate with the NDRMF committee set up at the provincial level.

Offering services of experts to deal with flooding in rivers and nullahs in the province, Mr Nadeem Ahmad assured that his organisation would extend full technical and financial support to the Punjab government. He mentioned that his organisation was ready to provide help to the province for drought mitigation.

The chief secretary directed the irrigation department to benefit from the expertise of the NDRMF to reduce risk of drought in Cholistan.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2020