MIRPUR (AJK): Sep 28 (APP):The terrible earthquake of September 24 and follow up aftershocks rendered hundreds of thousands people shelter less badly bringing the life to stand-still in the catastrophe-stricken areas of Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Most of the poor, below-middle and middle class ill-fated shelter- less families have been shifted or being shifted in to the tents, several of the well-off affectees have moved into the rented buildings located at the safer places to avert the threat of more human loss in case of the repeat of the deadly-eventuality.
Authorities here said that the quake-hit Mirpur Sub division is comprising over 2.84 lakh (284449) people of a total of 43632 families dwelling in the area of a total of 23 patwar circles.
Hectic relief and rehabilitation operations have been kicked off by the government including the National and State Disaster Management Authorities, besides the international, national and local registered NGOs with the coordination of Mirpur Division and District administration with prime focus to bring the life back to normal through the completion of reconstruction and rehabilitation process.
Unveiling the so-far breakup to this direction, Commissioner Mirpur division Muhammad Tayyeb, who is directly supervising the relief and rehabilitation process, told in a media briefing in his office Saturday evening that all those injured in the catastrophe, have so far been shifted to the newly-constructed 500-bed medical complex at the Mirpur Divisional Headquarter hospital to ensure maximum better fMedicare.
“The injured feel more comfortable at the new block – opened on emergency ground to ensure the survival of the precious lives”, Tayyeb said.
Director General Mirpur Development Authority Ch. Ejaz Raza was also present on this occasion. The DG MDA revealed that survey to assess the loss to the buildings in housing sectors of the MDA has so far been launched by the MDA.
He added that special survey teams have been deputed to file comprehensive reports about the loss by visiting door-to-door the residential and commercial buildings in the areas falling in the jurisdiction of the areas of the MDA, he added. Director Electricity and Incharge NGOs and relief Shahid Hussain Malik was also present on this occasion.
Referring to the disbursement of the relief goods disbursed among the affectees, the Divisional Commissioner Muhammad Tayyeb said that 3300 tents, 650 plastic sheets, 2200 blanckets, 450 mattresses, 200 gas cylinders, 275 kcien sets, 200 first aid boxes, 3000 cooked food, 14200 bottles of water, 100 water tanks of the capacity of 2000 gallon, 250 nets for safety from mosquito have been distributed among the affectees by September 27 evening by the relief teams comprising Pak army jawans, civil administration and the NGOs.
He continued that survey teams comprising engineers have been rushed to the affected to assess the gravity of loss occrued to the buildings with the focus to asses that the damaged buildings were suitable for further use or not.
The Commissioner said that at least two thousand more tents would be required for the shelter less affectees and the NDMA and other relief bodies have been asked for the supply of same relief goods.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Medical Association Mirpur District President Dr Ijaz Ahmad Raja while addressing a press conference here Saturday appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to announce for the establishment of full fledged tertiary care hospital and Cancer Hospital at Mirpur AJK on the eve of his forthcoming visit to the earthquake-hit areas.
The PMA district chief paid rich tributes to PM Imran Khan for his, bold, realistic and courageous address in UNGA highlighting the urgency of the solution of Kashmir issue and for the early release of besieged and subjugated people of Kashmir under Indian occupation.
“PM Khan has once again won the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir dwelling either side of the line of control and rest of the world”, he observed.
He strongly demanded that as people if Kashmir have attached great hopes with IK for representing their case internationally.
He further said that Kashmiris have utmost and immense hopes from IK to announce a tertiary care level hospital in Mirpur coupled with setup of oncology for the needy earthquake victims on this side of bloody LoC.
Dr Ijaz appreciated the role of Pak Army, district administration, NGOs and others for extending the immediate relief and rescue to the earthquake victims in the district.
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