Proposal to expand NDMA under consideration

A proposal for expansion in the National Disaster Management Division (NDMD) is under consideration, as Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will take a decision soon after Eid-ul Azha regarding the proposed expansion. Sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday that seven departments were already working under NDMA.
"The government has three options regarding expansion of NDMA; a) to bring Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) and NDMA under one Ministry b) to merge ERRA and NDMA under the same ministry and c) to merge the provincial disaster management authorities, NDMA and ERRA under the same Ministry headed by the same Minister," sources added.
Addressing a press conference here, NDMA Chairman, Zafar Iqbal Qadri said that the United Nations (UN) had made assessment regarding the issues of food security, shelter, water and sanitation etc and this data would be finalised soon after the approval by NDMA.
"Damage Need Assessment " report being compiled by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank would be presented before NDMA after EiD. This report would highlight the infrastructure, agricultural and property damages caused by recent floods," he said.
According to NDMA report on damages in the flood affected areas of Sindh nearly 23 districts of Sindh including Badin, Dadu, Ghotki, Hyderabad, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Kamber Shahdadkot, Kashmore, Khairpur, Larkana, Matiari, Mirpurkhas, N.Feroze, Sanghar, Sh.Benazirabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, T. Allahyar, T. M. Khan, Tharparkar, Thatta, Umerkot and Karachi have been affected by the recent floods.
"A total of 9.2 million people have been affected in Sindh while 806 relief camps have been established by NDMA. As many as 2,83,521 people are still living in these relief camps, while 6.1 million acres of land including 2.1million acres of cropped area have been affected by the floods," the report said.
The report further said that total of 6 lac houses partially and 0.6 million have been completely damaged in affected areas. Total 33,933 villages have been affected in these 23 districts of Sindh. While 466 persons died and 756 have injured in the affected districts of Sindh.
NDMA distributed 0.1 million tents, 40,000 blankets, one lac mosquito nets, 10, 000 mosquito repellant oil, 17 water purification units, one million water sanitation tablets and 10,000 buckets in flood affected districts of Sindh.