Zartaj Gul urges MNAs to play proactive role for public awareness during flood disaster

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ISLAMABAD, Jul 29 (APP):Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Monday urged members of the National Assembly (MNAs) to play proactive role in creating awareness in their constituencies during monsoon seasons owing to the impending threat of disasters.

Speaking at the National Standing Committee meeting with MNA Munaza Hassan in chair, she said the Ministry of Climate Change was also playing its part in timely awareness of the masses during natural disasters in coordination with other sectors.

She said, “I would request all the members to keep close contact with their relevant district disaster management authorities, the Commissioner offices, Rescue 1122, Irrigation and Agriculture Departments and other provincial agencies as they had Department latest data and information regarding the prevailing weather situation and future prediction for disasters. It will help warning about the risks posed to the population of your electorate.”
She mentioned that our farmers would have to change their traditional way of cultivation due to the impacts of climate change.

On the occasion, Secretary of the Ministry Hassan Nasir Jami said that our ministry’s budget had been increased historically and we were working on a number of projects based on environmental conservation and other multi-sectoral initiatives.

The Billions Tree Tsunami project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was successfully completed which was also appreciated by the UN Secretary-General and moreover it had been nominated for Climate Action Award in COP-24 to be held in Chile.

The ministry, he said was taking part in a nationwide plantation campaigns and was also going to launch the Chilgoza Forest Project, which would help to increase its specie cover and grow huge amount of chilghoza pine nuts.

Chairperson of the standing committee Munaza Hassan said, “The Assemblies play a vital role in timely awareness of natural disasters in their constituencies. At the national level, there is a need for mechanisms that allow organizations to exchange researches on various topics, whenever awareness campaigns are launched.”
She hoped that the people would give full support to the government for eliminating the use of plastic bags from August 14 in the federal capital.

“Natural disasters have caused huge damage to the country due to lack of timely planning in the past,” she said.

Munaza Hassan during the meeting said that Pakistan was an agricultural country and we should be 100 per cent self-sufficient in the agriculture sector and for this purpose we should provide timely information to our farmers.

She said that the Ministry of Climate Change had started working in this regard which was praiseworthy and it needs to be expanded further.

The chair expressed her concerns over the fact that most of the wheat and rice and their nutritional value was declining with the increase in our population.

“There has been a lack of research in various institutions, especially of wheat and rice in our country at the provincial and federal level,” she added.

The committee should be briefed at the next meeting on these reports, she said adding, “In our country there is a need for a mechanism by which institutions can exchange their findings with other agencies,” she suggested.

The members of the National Assembly should be active in their constituencies for timely awareness and play their role in directing the public on timely information pertaining to natural disasters especially farmers and should keep in touch with the provincial disaster management authorities continuously, she said.

Munaza Hassan said that the public had always supported government campaigns for public welfare and the same would be observed in terms of ban on plastic bags.

“I hope the climate change ministry would be successful in banning the use of plastic bags since August 14 in the federal capital and the public will support it,” she noted.

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Engineer Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani said that farmers should have timely information about natural disasters. As due to lack of information they bore huge damage to their crops, the concerned agencies should establish linkages with the farmers to provide timely information, he maintained.

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