Coordinated efforts afoot for relief to quake victims: NDMA chairman

MIRPUR, Sep 25 (APP):National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt. Gen Muhammad Afzal on Wednesday said that coordinated efforts were afoot for relief activities to earthquake-affected people in Mirpur district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

“We have teamed up with the AJK government and the local administration to help them out in relief activities as, when and where required,” he informed media during his visit to quake-affected areas.
He said that Jatlan area was more affected from earthquake where total 14 kilometres roads and 450 houses have been damaged as 25 people lost their lives and 80 were injured.

“Pakistan Government, Army and NDMA are all out for relief activities. However, we are not doing it in isolation, but with the AJK government and district administration as per requirements mentioned by them,” he stated.

Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal said that NDMA was in constant contact with the AJK government, commissioner, deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner of the area and the Disaster Management Authority in AJK for execution of relief activities.

He said the reconstruction work on damaged portion of the road has been started and as soon as it completes, it would be opened for routine traffic.

Currently, he said, around 20 ‘machine contingents’ of Pakistan Army and 16 of other departments were busy in rehabilitation activities in the affected areas.

NDMA chairman said that he was contacted by couple of envoys for relief as well as philanthropists within the country for assistance, but by the time we are not getting any relief from anybody and meeting requirements from our own resources.

“By the time we have sufficient commodities to meet the affected people’s needs and if we need anything extra, a helpline would be created where the donors can register for provision of relief goods,” he added.

He said 200 family tents along with kitchen and other accessories like blankets had so far been provided to the displaced people while provision of food packages were also being ensured there.

“As many as 50,000 drinking water bottles and 1,000 family food-package including flour, sugar, rice and cooking oil/ghee are also being transported there at the earliest,” he said expressing confidence that all relief activities would be carried out in a smooth manner from own resources.