NDMA Chairman Reviews Punjab’s Monsoon, Flood Preparedness During PDMA Visit

By Dr. Ansab Ali | Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), General (Retired) Inam Haider Malik, visited the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Headquarters on Monday to review the province’s preparedness for the ongoing monsoon season and potential flood emergencies.

He was received by Punjab Health Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Disaster Management Khawaja Salman Rafique and Director General PDMA Saif Anwar Jappa. During the visit, the NDMA chairman toured the Provincial Emergency Control Centre and chaired a high-level meeting to assess the prevailing monsoon situation, flood risks, and ongoing rescue and response measures across Punjab.

Senior officials from the NDMA’s technical team and PDMA also attended the meeting, where discussions focused on climate change, disaster preparedness, capacity building, resource management, and inter-agency coordination.

Khawaja Salman Rafique said that, under the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, all necessary measures were being taken to minimise flood risks and protect lives and property across the province.

He said the Health Department, Rescue 1122, Livestock Department, and other relevant agencies were fully mobilised to respond to emergencies. He added that Rescue 1122 had been equipped with modern equipment worth billions of rupees, while new disaster management warehouses were being established in several cities to strengthen emergency response capabilities. According to the minister, PDMA’s preparedness this year is significantly better than last year’s.

General (Retired) Inam Haider Malik said NDMA was maintaining close coordination with all provincial governments in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure an effective national response to floods. He praised the performance of PDMA, Rescue 1122, and other relevant institutions in handling emergency situations and said advance measures had been put in place to minimise structural damage and other flood-related losses.

DG PDMA Saif Anwar Jappa said all field officers remained on high alert and that river flows and monsoon conditions were being monitored continuously. He added that underground water storage tanks were being constructed to mitigate urban flooding, while WASA had been equipped with modern machinery and equipment to improve drainage operations.

He further noted that the Punjab government had expanded WASA’s operational jurisdiction from two cities to 41 cities, significantly strengthening urban flood management across the province.

At the conclusion of the visit, General (Retired) Inam Haider Malik presented commemorative shields to Khawaja Salman Rafique and DG PDMA Saif Anwar Jappa in recognition of their efforts in disaster management.