PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has begun implementing the Monsoon 2026 Emergency Governance Blueprint, a time-bound operational framework aimed at ensuring ‘zero preventable deaths’ during Monsoon 2026 through a coordinated whole-of-government response, according to officials.

They said the blueprint had been put in place on the directions of chief secretary Shahab Ali Shah, with all administrative secretaries, commissioners and deputy commissioners being requested to immediately activate implementation against the timelines, checklists and departmental responsibilities reflected in the document.

According to officials, the blueprint has been divided into three phases of preparedness, lasting from March to May, active response from May to July and rehabilitation from August to October.

Also, it will involve 11 departments, including relief, rehabilitation and settlement, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Rescue 1122, local government, communication and works, irrigation, forest, elementary and secondary education, information, health, livestock and agriculture departments as well as the administration of all 36 districts across the province.

Initiative meant to ensure ‘zero preventable deaths’ during upcoming monsoon season

Under the blueprint, a four-tier provincial command structure has been proposed with the chief secretary as the apex authority and the emergency review chair. Besides, administrative secretaries will also be responsible for departmental accountability and submission of daily situation reports.

Similarly, deputy commissioners of all the districts will be responsible for district level execution of the blueprint, commanding evacuation and damage verification while line departments’ field officers would be responsible for ground implementation, community interface and asset deployments.

Besides, it has also put in place a communication and coordination network including district administration, police, armed forces and information department.

Besides, the blueprint has also put in place a four tiered emergency escalation model, categorised in alert, watch, emergency and disaster. The alert would be issued by the irrigation department in case of rivers being in 60pc gauge threshold and after issuance of alert, deputy commissioner of the district concerned would activate the district emergency operation command, Rescue 1122 would be placed on standby and community volunteers’ activated.

In the watch category, in case of river surging to 80pc gauge threshold and receipt of glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) signal, director general PDMA will activate the provincial emergency operations center, order pre-evacuation of vulnerable areas and authorise release of stockpiles.

River breaching embankments and mass displacement has been placed in the emergency category and in such a situation the secretary relief department will formally declare emergency while all the departments be mobilised and aid will be requisitioned from Pakistan Army.

Similarly, the disaster category would be declared in case of several districts collapse and over 100,000 displaced and in such a situation the chief minister would declare provincial emergency and ask for the activation of national emergency.

The blueprint has also provided a vulnerable population protection matrix to assist and provide help to women, children, elderly and patients in case of natural disasters.

In addition, government departments and districts administrations have been directed to ensure particular focus on pre-monsoon preparedness activities, operational readiness, district emergency plans, control rooms, rescue coordination, evacuation routes, relief stockpiling, drainage clearance, vulnerable population mapping and inter-departmental coordination mechanisms.

Similarly, the blueprint contains phase-wise actions for preparedness, active response and rehabilitation, along with escalation protocols, district execution responsibilities and daily situation reports expectations during monsoon period.

“All departments and districts may treat timelines and deliverables reflected in the framework as operational targets for implementation and readiness. The Performance Management and Reforms Unit of the chief secretary’s office shall separately coordinate monitoring and follow-up regarding implementation status,” it said.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2026