Disaster Risk Reduction Day observed. Seminar held on Disaster Risk Reduction at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Campus Chitral.
By: Gul Hamaad Farooqi
CHITRAL: Disaster risk reduction day observed by Focus humanitarian Assistance in collaboration with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Campus Chitral at university campus. Addressing on the occasion experts said that Chitral is in red zone and any time a heavy earth quake can occurred causing for human loss on large scale if we not prepared earlier. They said that national disaster risk reduction day is being observing every year after 5th October 2005 where more than 80000 people died including 17000 students and 200 lecturers and teachers. District program manager Focus Humanitarian Assistance for Pakistan Amir Muhammad briefed stake holders in his presentation that housing structure of Chitrael is very vulnerable and building code must be implemented here to bound the people for adopting precasionary measurement during construction of buildings. He said that light material and standard quality and skill can reduce human and property loss in case of any disaster. Muhammad Karam Manger Aga Khan Planning and Building Service disclosed that according to latest research and survey of seismology Chitral is in red zone and these shocking plates are only 10 kilometers from surface. Inappropriate building can causing for human loss in a large scale. He briefed the participants how to construct their house/buildings and how can they save their lives in case of earthquake with the help of projector.
He said in Japan earthquake occurring 8 to 9 rector scale but there is very less number of human loss because of adopting these techniques during construction building for minimizing losses. Masood Anwar head of computer science department of SBBU briefed the participants and highlighted importance of these techniques and methodology of building code to reduce risk and losses. The speakers urged on approval of building code by provincial as well as national assembly and after passing by parliament it should be implement at district level. Muhammad Afzal president Namdaar Aga Khan regional council, Sultan Mahmood regional Program Manger Hashoo foundation, Zuhran Shah and Lal Khan spoke on the occasion. Miss Fatima Shah, Karishma Hassan and Nadia Khan students of eagle eyes education institution also delivered their presentation on natural disaster and calamity. The participants also stressed on preparing of strategy of action plan on disaster risk reduction and building code. Hence there was no officer from district administration on the occasion. A large number of students, teachers, intellectuals, social workers and representatives of civil societies participated in the seminar. Earlier that an awareness walk was also held in this regard.
G.H. Farooqi C/O Manager bank Islami Main branch Chitral phone No 0943-320737, 0943-316052, 0943-414418 , 03025989602, 03337069572, 03159698446, 03469002167
email: gulhamad@gmail.com
