Ghulam Mursalin Marwat
LAKKI MARWAT: Speakers at a speech competition on disaster management have called upon the government to strengthen disaster management bodies in the country and provide them with sufficient resources to enable them to carry out rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities effectively during natural and manmade disasters.
The competition was organized by district sports department with the collaboration of district government at the district headquarters complex Tajazai on Wednesday. Local deputy commissioner Muhammad Bakhtiar and district naib nazim Haji Arab Khan graced the occasion as chief guests.
District Sports Officer Ameer Zahid Shah, ADO Sports Nisar Muhammad and district councilor Fareedullah Khan also attended the event. Students from different public sector and private schools participated in the declamation contest. “The natural calamities bring miseries and cause massive deaths of humans and animals and damages and disaster to the properties”, said a student Muhammad Rehan. He said that the countries like Pakistan lacked expertise and resources to cope with disasters effectively.
“With the help of effective disaster management we can minimize losses and damages”, he maintained. Recalling the massive destruction caused by October 8 deadly earthquakes in Pakistan, he said that the signs of disaster cause by tremor could be seen in Kashmir and Hazara region even after passage of 9 years. “We invite natural calamities to cause massive disasters by indulging in bad and sinful practices”, said another student speaker Hamza. He said that human beings living on the earth could keep themselves safe from calamities by molding their lives according to the injunctions of true religion.
Muhammad Shoaib, a student of Government High School No. 2, Lakki criticized the government for not paying heed to strengthen disaster management organizations in the country.
“The national and provincial disaster management bodies are not capable of managing disasters effectively”, he added, saying that the sale of substandard and contaminated food items, narcotics trafficking, corruption, dishonesty and social and moral vices are manmade disasters and the government should take serious notice of it. He regretted that during relief activities the food articles, non food items and cash assistance did not reach genuine affected people.
“The government also lack proper planning and effective mechanism to deal with rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities during disasters”, he claimed. Another speaker Abdullah stressed the need for sensitizing people to help each other during natural and manmade disasters and calamities. “The integrated efforts can prove helpful to reduce the miseries of disaster affected people”, he said.
A student Noman underlined the need for strengthening warning alarm system and asked the government to educate people about their role in rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities. “Today we are confronted with manmade disaster and the wave of terrorism and militancy is the big example of it”, said Tanveer Aslam, a student of Government Higher Secondary School No. 3, Michenkhel Lakki, adding that our enemies are behind such disaster as they want to weaken us.
He said that people and government could overcome the disaster caused by terrorism through concerted and collaborated efforts. He asked the government to allocate funds for disaster management in annual budget and use print and electronic media to create awareness among people about their role in effective disaster management. Tanveer Aslam of Government Higher Secondary School No. 3, Michenkhel Lakki and Muhammad Shoaib of Government High School No. 2, Lakki stood first and second respectively in the speech competition. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Bakhtiar Khan and district naib nazim Haji Arab Khan distributed trophies and cash prizes among the position holder student speakers.
