Islamabad: FIR will be registered for cutting trees, Chairman CDA

Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa said on Tuesday that an investigation would be conducted by the Intelligence Agency, Climate Change and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) into the fire incidents at Margalla Hills, while cases would be brought once morest whoever felled the tree. will be registered.

On Tuesday, a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change was held in the Upper House of the Parliament under the chairmanship of Senator Sherry Rehman, where the officials of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which deals with natural disasters in Pakistan, gave a briefing.

In the meeting, Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa, while giving a briefing on the incidents of fire at Margalla Hills, said that this year there were 22 incidents of fire at Margalla Hills and it took five to 10 hours to extinguish the fire. 11 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered regarding fire incidents at Margalla Hills while three persons have been arrested.

Ali Randhawa said three or four incidents happened by mistake.

‘We have tightened our fire hoses. An investigation will be started following the fire season is over.’

Chairman CDA said that there is a need for plantation on Margalla Hills, in view of which trees of safida and mulberry are not being planted, but trees of jacaranda, shesham, neem, peepal and amlatas are being planted. Islam Abad are being planted.

Chairman CDA said that apart from this there are many other trees which will be planted and their details will be provided.

This time only plantation will be done on Margalla Hills, starting his campaign from July 22 this month. Various organizations have promised to plant 41 lakh 20 thousand trees. FIR will be filed once morest the one who cuts the tree.’

Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam said housing societies have also been told not to plant trees without an expert’s opinion.

In the meeting, Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Inam Haider said during the briefing that the temperature in the months of June and July was higher than before.

‘The temperature is increasing every year due to global warming. There is a strong air pressure in the Arabian Sea, due to which there is a possibility of heavy rains in the monsoon. In the first week of July, heavy rainfall occurred at some places.

This section contains related reference points (Related Nodes field).

Chairman NDMA said that ‘spell of monsoon rains is likely to enter Pakistan from India. NEOC can predict disasters six to eight months in advance. Rains are predicted in the second and third week of July, while the flow of water from Indian rivers is also likely to increase.

Chairman NDMA said that rains are likely in all four provinces in July and August. In the second week of July and the third week of August, there is a possibility of rain in Punjab province, while in the second week and fourth week of July, there is a possibility of rain in Sindh.

He said that the meteorological department’s equipment has become old.

Committee chairperson Senator Sherry Rahman said, “Due to the lack of grants, the equipment has not been updated for which more funds were needed.”

Sherry Rehman, who was the then Federal Minister for Climate Change in 2022, said that following the floods, all the funds were allocated to flood-affected areas.

The Ministry of Climate Change has asked the provinces for a list of relief items.

Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam told the committee what items the provincial disaster management authorities will need in case of floods, in this regard, the provincial governments have asked for a list of essential items from the PDMAs. And at the same time they have been instructed to be alert.

Chairman NDMA said that the flow of water in the rivers is being estimated to increase. The year Floods of 2022 Estimates of river reach have been taken into account, the data of which has been shared with the provincial governments. It is also decided which charities are to distribute what goods.

On the other hand, NDMA told the committee that the organization has written a letter to the provincial governments regarding the audit of residential and commercial buildings.

“NDMA has proposed to conduct an audit of national highways and bridges, it is important to find out what infrastructure has been damaged by the last floods.”