PM Shehbaz forms high-level committee to deal with monsoon emergencies

• PM directs NDMA to assist provinces regarding monsoon.
• He says advance information should be disseminated to farmers.  
• Meeting told heavy rains expected in first, second week of July.
  

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday constituted a high-level committee to deal with any potential emergency situation during the upcoming monsoon season.

Chairing a meeting regarding national preparedness for the monsoon in Islamabad, the prime minister directed all relevant institutions to remain on high alert.

He also instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to assist all provincial governments and related institutions regarding the monsoon, Radio Pakistan reported. 

The premier said advisory to the people living in affected areas regarding any expected situation in emergency due to monsoon should be ensured.

He said advance information should be disseminated to farmers and people living alongside the rivers and canals through media on a daily basis.

The meeting was told that heavy monsoon rains are expected in all the provinces in first and second week of the current month.

It was further informed that spell of monsoon rains will move from south-east to north in the country this year.

Rains are expected in Potohar region and eastern part of Punjab in the first week of July, while heavy rains are expected in Karachi, Mirpur Khas, Nawabshah, Sukkur and Hyderabad in the second and fourth week of this month.

The meeting was briefed that spell of monsoon rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will likely to remain active till third week of next month.

In Balochistan, heavy rains are expected in the coastal and border areas of Sindh and Balochistan in the second, fourth and first two weeks of the current month.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, partial rains are expected in this month, while massive rains are expected in the first three weeks of August.

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, massive rains have been forecast with land sliding in the first three weeks of this month.

The meeting was also briefed about the preparations to handle any emergency situation due to Monsoon rains across the country.

It was briefed that rescue agencies including NDMA, PDMA, troops of Pakistan Army are constantly on high-alert in the affected areas.

NDMA has introduced a mobile app for monsoon alert and weather conditions as well as advance information which is being used by people.

The meeting was told that a National Monsoon Contingency Plan has already been prepared and delivered to the relevant institutions and provincial governments to deal with any emergency situation.