ISLAMABAD, June 11: A 12-member delegation of Australian defence college/faculty of college of defence and strategic studies called on the deputy chairman of Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra) Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmad here on Monday.

The Erra Deputy Chairman apprised the delegation of the experience that the Pakistan army gathered while dealing with the devastating October 8, 2005 earthquake tragedy. He said that the armed forces could be useful in responding to the extraordinary situations arising out of catastrophes of high magnitude.

Gen Ahmad said the armed forces due to their training and assets proved successful in dealing with a gigantic relief followed by reconstruction and rehabilitation operations.

He recalled that it was due to swift operations of the Pakistan Army that the two waves of death that usually follow such kind of disasters were successfully contained, which was quite contrary to the fear expressed by the international community. He said that the Pakistan Army has learnt a lot to deal with the disastrous situations like the 8/10 earthquake.

He said that Pakistan would share its experience with the international community.

He informed the delegation that all schools, hospitals, major roads, water supply, communication services have made functional in the affected areas, despite the fact that the terrain were very difficult and the weather does not permit any construction activities for 5-6 months in a year.

He said Erra had been following the strategy of build better; and as a result the schools, colleges, health and other institutions, so far built were far bigger in size, better in quality and offer most modern facilities. He said due to quality and pace of work the World Bank declared the reconstruction and rehabilitation programme as highly satisfactory.

He said that construction of 72 major roads has already been undertaken; these roads are reconstructed on international standard, he added.

He said that the vision of the President of Pakistan to convert the calamity into opportunity is being fully realized.

The reconstruction and rehabilitation process has generated a lot of economic activities in the affected areas; bank branches are now working in the areas; health facilities gathered under one umbrella are now giving dividends as child mortality rate has been dropped, he added. He was optimistic that ERRA would complete major portion of its task in the stipulated time (three years).