HYDERABAD, Sept 27: The Sindh government is optimistic about getting 50 per cent funding from the federal government for putting in place its disaster management plan.

An assurance in this regard is said to have been given by Lt-Gen (rtd) Mohammad Zubair, member (inspection and monitoring) of the planning commission.

A source told Dawn on Wednesday that Mr Zubair had held a meeting with Sindh’s additional chief secretary planning Ghulam Sarwar Khero, Sindh relief commissioner Syed Anwar Hyder and other officials in Karachi.

The scheme’s cost is estimated at Rs1,087.350 million, raised from the original estimate of Rs794.680 million after the Sindh chief minister had proposed inclusion of two helicopters for rescue and evacuation of people in emergencies.

It is learnt that the scheme was earlier sponsored by the UNDP but following the October 8 earthquake in Azad Kashmir and parts of the NWFP, the UNDP expressed its inability to fund it.

Mr Zubair was informed by Mr Khero that the scheme of Rs794.680million was approved by the provincial development working party on August 31, 2005 but later the central development working party asked provinces to execute such scheme with provincial resources.

As a result, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim sent a communication to the planning commission, seeking approval for the plan from the CDWP and the ECNEC.

In the meantime, the cost of scheme was revised and estimated at Rs1087.350 million while the federal government gave an assurance that it would finance fifty per cent project cost to Sindh.

The I&M member was briefed by Sindh relief commissioner Syed Anwar Hyder regarding crisis situations faced by Sindh since 1999 to 2006.

He was told that Sindh was facing immense problems due to drought, earthquake, rains, floods, water shortage and sea intrusion.

Mr Hyder spoke about losses to fishing and agriculture sectors in coastal and arid zones during the 2006 rains.

He estimated all these calamities had led to losses to Sindh to the tune of Rs146 billion.

He informed him that because of non-existence of the disaster management plan army had to support the civil administration but that too only for short-term measures.

He said that formulation of community-based disaster system could cope with the situation.

He said that the national disaster management authority could train government and non-government officials and there was need of adopting different measures in coordination with the NDMA to lessen effects of any disaster in Sindh.

He said that the construction of RCC platforms were necessary in coastal area so that people could be evacuated.

“There is need for availability of standard operating procedures at all government levels so that nature of job could be determined among departments whereas two helicopters are also necessary”, he suggested.

He said that disaster management committees at UC, taluka and district level could address the situation.

Such DMCs would be patterned to disaster management risk set up in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran and Afghanistan.

He informed that a disaster management commission headed by the Sindh chief minister and the Sindh disaster management committee headed by the chief secretary had been formed.

Mr Zubair appreciated allocation of Rs100 million as mitigation fund to ensure timely relief and rescue operation.

He advised that similar proportional funds should be allocated for each district.

About purchase of helicopters, he said that if they remain inoperative it would lead to maintenance issue and incur huge sending on purchase of spare parts.

He was informed that the helicopters could be used for other emergencies and development related activities to generate funds for their management and save government’s exchequer.

He assured Sindh government officials that he would take up the matter with the federal government and get it approved at least get 50 per cent share of cost.