ISLAMABAD: The earthquake of October 8, 2005 would be remembered on ‘National Disaster Awareness Day’, with special focus on sensitising the communities dealing with calamities.
11 years have passed since the incident, the effects of disasters on people, society and the economy can accentuate poverty and social exclusion. However, the country has shown immense resilience in the face of devastating natural disasters and crippling emergencies, after this earthquake, which claimed over 70,000 human lives besides infrastructure and other losses.
According to the latest figures of Earthquake, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), a total of 14,706 reconstruction project were planned in the affected area, including 5,723 educational projects, 466 environmental, 725 governance, 326 healthcare, 2,352 livelihood, 4,744 sanitation, 302 transport, 19 power and telecom, 15 social protection and 34 town planning projects.
Among these, 10,204 projects have so far been completed including 2,999 education project, 240 environmental projects, 532 governance projects, 216 healthcare projects, 1,375 livelihood, 4,571 sanitation projects, 220 transport projects, 16 power and telecom projects, 31 town planning projects and four social protection, official sources said on Friday. They informed that 4,502 projects were still under construction.
The United Nations (UN) in a statement issued in connection with the day said that just last year, 45,900 households were assisted by disaster risk reduction initiatives in areas beset by drought and floods in Sindh and Khayber Pakhtunkhwa, including conditional cash transfers of US $ 6.59 million.
Sources said that with the UN support, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) developed a National “Multi Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessment Policy” and a “National Disaster Management Implementation Road Map” for Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessments, Community-Based Disaster Management and Capacity Building (2016-2030), with guidelines for vulnerable districts.
Meanwhile, the State Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (SEERA) Secretary Sardar Muhammad Zafar Khan on Friday said that Rs 40 billion were required for reconstructing more than 2,000 buildings, which were destroyed during the deadly earthquake 2005.
“The phase two of the reconstruction programme is facing financial crunch for the last six years as only 91 projects could be completed, while progress on 1,595 under construction projects is very slow,” he added.
At least 90 percent buildings under-construction or in the pipeline are of education facilities, due to which the children are facing difficulties to continue their studies, especially during the winters and this has gradually brought down the quality of education in the area, he said.
The deadly earthquake had destroyed almost 95 percent public buildings including schools and health facilities in Muzaffarabad, Hattian, Poonch and Bagh districts of Azad Jammu Kashmir besides leaving more than 90,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands injured.
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