A disaster in itself!
It is not unusual for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to appear incompetent. Its inherent inability to deal with national disasters – especially foreseen ones – has led to repeated calls for a critical evaluation and overhaul. One main reason for its present paralysis was presented to the Senate standing committee on climate change on Tuesday. It turns out that some of its most important commissions have not met since Feb ’13. That means there has been no movement on mandated benchmarks under the present dispensation.
Interestingly, just as the Senate standing committee was being enlightened about some of the disaster management authority’s many inabilities, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal – speaking about Vision 2025, of course – was underscoring the need for ‘a holistic approach’ for human resource development ‘by synergising efforts on education, health, nutrition and population’. Yet the government’s policies reflect a different set of priorities. There is not much emphasis on the sectors Iqbal listed. There is, though, overwhelming focus on mega projects like motorways, power plants, etc. It is little surprise, in hindsight, that the crucial organs of state remain non-functional, just like NDMA, while official energy is invested in efforts that do not relate to the people’s most pressing issues.
This policy framework rightly draws criticism from the opposition. The government loses points every time disasters kill and dislocate people – not to mention the continuous drain on the GDP. In case of floods, when small farmers are destroyed, it takes much longer for the periphery to return to the natural production and earning cycle. It doesn’t help, of course, when more floods come before the process is complete, inflicting compound damage. Concerned offices continue to display criminal negligence by ignoring institutions like NDMA. The government must immediately reset its to-do list, not just for the sake of the people, but for its own political survival. It is not winning many hearts by being so detached from the people.
