- Extreme cold weather emergency imposed under the National Disaster Management (KP) Act, 2010
- Deputy commissioners have been directed to establish shelter homes
- Needy to be provided food and bedding in shelter homes
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has imposed an extreme cold weather emergency throughout the province due to an “extraordinary cold wave”.
“This extraordinary cold wave is taking the form of a disaster which is likely to threaten lives of needy people who are without shelter, food and warm bedding,” said a notification issued by the KP relief department.
The emergency has been imposed under Section 16(A)(1) of the National Disaster Management (KP) Act, 2010.Deputy commissioners have been told to “establish temporary shelters (panagah)”. In those shelters, the needy will be provided with breakfast and dinner and can also stay the night.The funds for the shelter houses will be given to the DCs by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
“The deputy commissioners shall also provide cooked meals three times a day to those families whose houses have been damaged due to extreme weather condition,” said the notification.
The DCs are to give people Rs100 for breakfast and Rs200 each for dinner and lunch.
The notification also instructed the PDMA director-general and DCs to maintain “proper accounts and inventory” to register funds and articles for information and audits.
Weather update by Met office
According to the Met office, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and adjoining areas may see rainfall Monday morning. It forecast more snowfall in Murree, Galiyat, Swat, Kohistan, and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
On Sunday, the Met Office recorded 3°C as the minimum temperature in Islamabad with a humidity of 69% and zero degree Celsius as the minimum temperature in nearby Murree hill station with 70% humidity.
Met officials said a westerly wave was present over the upper parts of the country and may persist in upper parts till Monday. They predicted cold and dry weather in most parts of the country. Rain and snowfall were expected in upper Punjab, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and adjoining hilly areas. They added that dense fog was likely to prevail in central/southern Punjab and upper Sindh.
