Khawaja Zaheer Ahmed - PDMA

contributed to the breaches in one way or the other. The Commission has,
therefore, no doubt that the Irrigation department had adequate time to mend its
historical apathy to strengthen the weaker components of those bunds before
arrival of high water mark on 27 th August 2010 that could not have been wished
away; their timely response, to an impending disaster foretold, could have spared
them the allegations of holding late night entertainments sessions, near the
fateful sites, unmindful of the tragic happenings; what more damning evidence
could be brought when ruling party’s own MNA alleged inaction, despite his
efforts to run from pillar to post to wake up all concerned in time; the lady
Provincial Minister from Sindh was shown by media to be at pains too; she had
minced no words about the state of apathy shown vividly on the public screens!
That was most disappointing, indeed.
63 Provincial Relief Commissionerates headed by Senior Members in
Boards of Revenue, notified under respective 1958 Calamities Acts to coordinate
relief/rehabilitation efforts during, and after the calamities. These include taking
into account duty to oversee preparatory actions, such as inspections and
protection measures for warning and identification of sites for establishment of
suitably equipped relief centres by the territorial revenue administrations at
Division, District and sub-Divisions, down to the village level. This Provincial
responsibility was not devolved after introduction of District Governments in
2001. However, with promulgation of the NDMA Ordinances since December
2006, the statutory functions under the 1958 Act, adapted by Provinces in 1975
in pursuance of article 268 imperatives, remained in tact. After conversion of the
Ordinance into an Act of Parliament in December 2010, many substantive
functions under the 1958 Act stood subsumed in the NDMA’s extended charter.
In other words, while the statutory powers to declare calamity affected areas
remains with the Relief Commissioners, many other functions regarding
integrated planning for disaster management stood allocated to the NDMA based
network of organisations. Balochistan, the Punjab and Sindh notified calamity
affected villages to create non-discriminatory eligibility on territorial basis, as
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