Govt draws up monsoon contingency plan to tackle floods

ISLAMABAD: The government has devised a comprehensive monsoon contingency plan to deal with possible flood situations in the country.

The plan outlines the organisational responsibilities, lessons learned, seasonal outlook, and scenarios for flood management, as well as the measures to improve preparedness and response.

The government has also developed a micro-level multi-hazard vulnerability and risk mapping system to enable informed decision-making and targeted disaster management efforts, officials said.

Moreover, the government has compiled and maintained a database of qualified professionals who can be utilised for effective disaster management.

The plan also aims to regulate the construction of river banks, ensuring the free flow of water and mitigating flooding risks.

To enhance community understanding of warnings and risks, the government has simplified weather forecasts and early warning messages, using regional languages accessible to the public.

Officials involved in the plan’s preparation have improved the coverage of weather monitoring stations, particularly in remote areas such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, to better monitor weather patterns.

Special attention has been given to regions historically experiencing heavy rainfall, to address the challenges posed by shifting weather patterns.

PMD predicts more monsoon rains

The government has also enhanced the availability of transboundary river flow data to better understand its impact on river systems.

An official said, “We have improved the river flow gauge network to provide timely warnings about potential flood build-up, enabling more effective response measures. Additionally, we have set up automated and integrated gauges for real-time data dissemination to reduce delays in receiving water flow and precipitation information.”

The contingency plan, however, highlighted some limitations that hindered dealing with unprecedented floods in the country last year.

Limited flood telemetry and information flow from catchment areas, especially in regions vulnerable to flash floods and hill torrents, posed challenges.

In various regions, precipitation went unnoticed due to the scarcity of weather stations. Insufficient dedicated human resources weakened response capabilities at the district level, leading to additional strain on provincial and national resources, including the involvement of armed forces.

Non-availability of an adequate number of heavy earth-moving machinery in hilly/mountainous regions of GB, KP, Balochistan, and AJK further complicated matters during bad weather conditions.

Urban flooding threats were exacerbated by settlements and encroachments in river and nullah beds, along with inadequate desilting of nullahs hindering proper water flow in major cities.

The monsoon contingency plan aims to address these challenges and enhance preparedness for any potential monsoon emergencies.