Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan called upon all concerned departments, agencies and district administrations to be proactive and prepared in dealing effectively with the situation arising from the recent rains, providing full assistance to the people affected by the rains and flood waters. He directed to rehabilitate national highways and roads as soon as possible while instructing the Irrigation Department to monitor the dams and open spillways of overflowing dams including Hub Dam. The Chief Minister further directed for preparation of comprehensive strategy to tackle with more rains forecasted by MET Department. In this context, the Chief Minister directed to relocate the population of the affected areas to safer places, provide awareness to the people to take precautionary measures in these areas and issue a travel advisory. He was chairing a high level meeting to review the situation aroused by recent heavy rains and floods in different areas of the Province. Chief Secretary Balochistan Mr. Fazil Asghar, Secretary Communications, Secretary Irrigation, DGPDMA, General Manager NHA, QESCO and officials of other concerned departments attended the meeting. While the commissioners of Makran, Naseerabad, Sibi and Zhob divisions attended the meeting through video link and briefed about the situation created by rains and floods in their respective divisions, relief activities and strategy prepared in case of more rains. The Secretary Irrigation department informed that the water situation in all the dams of the province including Hub Dam is being monitored. The spillway of Hub Dam will be opened tomorrow while the spillway of Sabkzai Dam has been opened and the department is ready to deal with any emergency. The Secretary Communications informed that the teams of the department have been deployed for the repair and rehabilitation of the affected roads and heavy machinery has also been engaged. The DG PDMA informed that according to the weather conditions, all types of preparations are completed, data is being collected on a daily basis in liaison with all Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners and in the next two days tents, tarpaulins and other relief items will be sent to the affected districts. The General Manager NHA informed that the affected highway at Kandani on M-8 was closed and NHA teams are working to repair and rehabilitate the affected highways and rehabilitate the traffic, QESCO officials said that a high alert has been issued in QESCO’s 14th Division. Holidays have been canceled while the situation is satisfactory. The Chief Minister directed during the meeting that the funds should be released to the commissioners as required to deal with the emergency situation and the commissioners should release funds to the deputy commissioners of their respective districts.
