ISLAMABAD: A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking action against the officials of Flood Control Commission (FCC) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for their ‘poor’ performance during the ongoing floods. The petition cited secretaries cabinet division and water and power as respondents.

IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi after preliminary hearing directed the petitioner, Kokab Iqbal advocate, to implead FCC and NDMA as parties and adjourned the matter till Monday.

Barrister Daud Ghazanvi, counsel for the petitioner, adopted before the court that every year floods and rainwater played havoc with the lives and property of the people but no long-term planning was made to save them from this menace.

He said that there was a need to build reservoirs and small dams to contain destruction from floods and use rainwater for irrigation purposes.

He alleged that influential people saved their land by diverting the floodwater towards the fields of the small growers.

The lawyer pointed out that the Met office had warned of floods in advance but the FCC and NDMA did nothing to counter the imminent threat.

He requested the court to take action against the FCC and NDMA officials who failed to perform their responsibilities. He further requested the court to direct the government to build water reservoirs and small dams to avert massive destruction from floods in future.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2014