Prepardness to meet calamities stressed

CHITRAL: Speakers at the concluding ceremony of a two-day workshop for volunteers of civil defence stressed the need for preparedness and a workable strategy to cope with natural calamities, saying this would minimise losses.
According to them, Chitral due to its geographical location was more vulnerable to natural calamities than other parts of the country.
The speakers, including DCO Motasim Billah Shah, Tehsil Nazim Sartaj Ahmed Khan, project manager of FOCUS, Amir Mohammad, and Dr Mohammad Yahya said to mitigate the after-effects of calamities, preparedness was needed and civil defence organisation should be strengthened, which would also ensure community participation. They said the organisation should be provided with necessary resources and more intensive trainings imparted to volunteers.
They said more volunteers should be enlisted in every village, adding that area-wise the district was the largest in the province and quick response was not possible from the district headquarters alone.
On the occasion, the volunteers also performed mock rescue operations.--Zahiruddin