PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement Department has started distributing solar-powered radios for disaster preparedness and management in areas like Chitral and Swat that are prone to flash floods, said an official on Saturday.
“The basic purpose of this initiative is to keep the community informed about potential floods and glacial outbursts by sending them early warning messages,” said the department’s spokesperson, Latif-ur-Rehman, while talking to Arab News. “These places are vulnerable to such disasters and lack communication facilities, such as landlines and mobile phone networks. It sometimes takes us six hours to convey message to the community.”
The radio distribution and awareness program began on August 1 and it will continue till September 15. The radio programs envisioned for the area will focus on natural disasters, especially floods, and will also highlight the potential damage from such calamities, the precautionary measures that can be taken against them, and government interventions in terms of its relief efforts.
So far, the department has distributed about 500 radio sets that can also be charged through their rotating handles in the absence of the sun.
“These radio sets are given to every sixth household in these areas so they can also help inform the rest of the community. The information will be delivered through both FM and AM radio stations,” Rehman informed.
The authorities have engaged the Pakhtunkhwa Radio, Sunno FM and Radio Pakistan to broadcast special programs for these areas in their local languages.
Hayat Muhammad Kalami, a local journalist, applauded the government for taking these steps.
“Timely communication can help reduce flood damages to the minimum,” he said. “Communication is always a major problem in this region and it is important to deal with that challenge.”
Kalami told Arab News that landline communication in the area had been suspended since 2010 when a flood wiped out the whole cable line of the Pakistan Telecommunications Limited. Even the mobile phone operators provided patchy service in the area, sometimes completely cutting off its residents from the rest of the country.
Dr. Hameed Jamali, who teaches development studies in Peshawar, noted that the government had set the duration of the program in view of the glacier melting period that ranged from July to September.
“In theory, the use of radio for disaster preparedness is a very good strategy,” he added. “However, it is important to ensure the effectiveness of the drill and the messages must be produced in such a way that they yield the desired results.”
KP distributes solar-powered radios in disaster-prone areas for better communication
KP distributes solar-powered radios in disaster-prone areas for better communication
- So far, 500 gadgets have been distributed among residents of districts that are vulnerable to flash floods
- Most of these places face severe communication problems, with no landlines facilities and patchy cellphone services
Islamabad says engagement with Afghanistan hinges on action against militant groups
- Tensions have been high between Islamabad and Kabul over the increase in militant attacks inside Pakistan
- Minister says economic aspects do come in between, but Pakistan's security remains their highest priority
KARACHI: Any engagement between Pakistan and Afghanistan depends on concrete action by Kabul against militant groups, Pakistan's commerce minister said on Monday, citing a surge in militant attacks inside Pakistan.
Tensions have been high between Islamabad and Kabul over the increase in militant attacks that Pakistan has blamed on Afghanistan-based militant groups, an allegation denied by the Taliban authorities.
The attacks triggered one of the worst skirmishes between the neighbors in Oct. last year, after Islamabad hit what it called Pakistani Taliban targets inside Afghanistan. Pakistan has since suspended all trade with Afghanistan, despite a ceasefire reached in Doha on Oct. 19.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said on Monday that Pakistan has made it clear at all levels that it could not make any compromise on its security and that militants using Afghan soil need to be "handled."
"If we have to engage in any form, Afghanistan has to address this aspect of terrorism first," he said on X. "In recent months, many such incidents have taken place and we see an increase in it."
There was no immediate response to the statement from the Afghan side, which comes as the suspension of trade between the neighbors has been severely impacting traders on either side of the border.
Kamal said they welcomed any dialogue and ways to facilitate trade but could not pursue them in the presence of militant "safe havens" in Afghanistan.
"Economic aspects do come in between, however, we keep our sovereignty and security as the highest priority," he added.
