National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik said more than one hundred thousand people would be evacuated till June 13 (Wednesday).
Addressing a presser flanked by Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman, he said cyclone Biparjoy could hit the Keti Bander on Thursday. “The evacuation process at coastal belt of Thatta, Keti and Jaati Bander and Umerkot is underway,” he added.
He informed that the Keti Bunder coastline and adjoining areas had been alerted whereas the security and law enforcement agencies, provincial departments, and volunteers were engaged in shifting the population to safer places. “The evacuated population will remain in the relief shelters till the situation normalizes as strong windstorms and rains will take place,” he added.
All volunteers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who had been working during post-2022 floods would also be engaged in the process, he said. “The government of Sindh and other developments are engaged with the NDMA for relief activities,” he added.
The Chairman NDMA said Pakistan Army, Pakistan Rangers, PDMA and NGO’S are ready to meet any untoward situation.
Meanwhile, Ms Rehman underlined that the vacations of all government officials and staff had been canceled and hospitals were placed on high alert. “As many as 25,000 evacuations have been done so far and more to be done further,” she said.
Ms Rehman went on to say that the intensity of the cyclone was increasing and moving speedily to the coastal belt of Sindh. She warned that low lying areas of Karachi can be inundated due to rains and speedy winds of cyclone.
She advised people to voluntarily move at safer places and cooperate with the evacuation teams and concerned staff, whose leaves have also been cancelled.
