KARACHI, July 2: All district coordination officers (DCOs) have been directed to make advance preparations to meet any emergency prompted by the monsoon rains.

Chief Secretary Fazal-ur-Rehman directed the DCOs to finalise contingency plans with regard to ensuring availability of food stocks, snake-bite serum and other medicines that could be needed in such emergencies. He recalled that the monsoon had already set in and such precautionary arrangements were required to be made at district level.

He issued the directives when his attention was drawn to the forecast of above-normal rains this year and the loss of many precious lives and heavy damage caused by a similar situation last year in Sindh.

The officials have been asked to ensure coordination with civil society organisations for the establishment of medical camps and other support centres in case of emergency.

The chief secretary said that district relief committees and the District Disaster Management Authority had been directed to convene their meetings and chalk out plans to cope with any emergency. He called for clearing storm-water drains and natural waterways of garbage and all obstacles, besides making available plastic sheets and country boats wherever they were needed.

He directed the officials to identify schools, colleges and other buildings where relief camps could be set up. He also directed them to finalise the constitution of relief committees to be deployed along with the staff concerned.

The DCOs were asked to ensure that the water and sewerage pumping stations, generators, dewatering machines were in working order.