Earth Quake

PESHAWAR: A medium scale earthquake jolted, Islamabad, Peshawar and northwestern Pakistan. The quake measured a 5.2 magnitude and occurred at 8:04 a.m. on Friday. It was originated from mountain range of Koh Hindu Kush, 300killometer away from Peshawar. According to Seismological Network of Pakistan Meteorological Department Peshawar its magnitude on international Richter scale was 5.2 and its epicenter lay about three hundred kilometers North of Peshawar in Hindukush Range.

ISLAMABAD: With 8th October approaching, troops start moving out of the Earthquake hit areas, gradually handing over the ownership of completed projects to the Civil Government. The initial pull out started with returning of bulk of 88 Brigade from Mansehra and 467 Brigade from Muzaffarabad. Local Formation Commanders and high ranking ERRA officials witnessed the initiation of return of the troops from affected areas. (more…)

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed confidence that despite challenges Earthquake Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) would be able to meet the targets for early completion of rehabilitation & reconstruction work. The Prime Minister expressed these views during his meeting with the Deputy Chairman ERRA, Lt. General Akram Sajjad at the Prime Minister’s House this morning during which he presented annual progress report of ERRA for the year 2007.

He said that in order to speed up the reconstruction and rehabilitation work in the earthquake affected areas, he had given a commitment to the affectees during his visit to the affected areas that despite his busy schedule he would hold a monthly meeting of ERRA Council to personally review the progress of work. The challenges arising out of socio-economic factors he said would be overcome with appropriate measures and commitment. (more…)

JAMMU: A mild tremor was felt in Bhaderwah belt of Doda district in the wee hours on Wednesday. The tremor shook Bhaderawah town at 0513 hours (local time) and lasted for around 4-5 seconds, the meteorological department said. No loss of life or damage to property was reported in the area. This is the third mild tremor in Bhaderwah belt this year. The region earlier experienced tremors on February 13 and April 7.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for I.T. and Telecommunications, Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the international community responded remarkably well and played invaluable services remained steadfast despite enormous challenges in the wake of the earth quake to bring life back to normal. He stated this at the meeting with vice president British Telecom Global services, who called on him on Monday at the IT Ministry. Mr. Falkner’s recent visit was at the conclusion of his recent trip to the quake stricken northern areas at the auspices of the government of Pakistan.

B.T, which has been indirectly doing business in Pakistan since inception and present locally since five years had played an effective role in the aftermath of the earth quake when it donated satellite communication equipment worth Rs. 140 million to the government of Pakistan This equipment enabled free calls to UK or any world wide destination and voice communications between sites in Pakistan. Moreover, additional equipment worth Rs. two and a half crores for compatibility with Pak sat satellite needed to establish communication links was also donated. (more…)

QUETTA: A powerful earthquake jolted Awaran district of Balochistan province, sources said. The tremors felt at 9:18 am on Monday. The epicenter of 4.1-magnitude earthquake was 1000 kilometer in northwest of Peshawar.

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has hailed the pace of reconstruction activities in the earthquake affected areas of AJK and NWFP. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Friday, Country Director UN-Habitat Jean Christopher Adrian described the housing reconstruction programme as a role model for the international community to cope with the future disasters.

Recognizing the unprecedented success of ERRA in the affected areas, Christopher Adrian said its owner driven approach of giving money to the affectees’ ensured speed in reconstruction of safer homes. He said about two hundred and forty thousand houses have so far been completely rebuilt while the remaining would be completed by the end of this year.

About his organization’s future plans for Pakistan, he said they are planning to start a series of activities in the water and sanitation sector, besides ensuring a better living condition for the residents of Kachi Abadis.

Chairman ERRA Altaf Muhammad Saleem addressing at the launching ceremony of the ERRA Monitoring and Evaluation 2007 on April 25, 2008

ISLAMABAD: Former Amir Jamaat-e-Islami AJK and EX. Member AJK Assembly Abdur Rashid Turabi has said stopping payment to earthquake stricken people of Bagh and Azad Jummu and Kashmir is injustice as the rules and regulations regarding the payment has been issued when majority of the affectees has built their houses.

In a letter to the Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, he has said that problems of the affectees should be immediately resolved, otherwise, they would organize a long March on May 11. In the letter Abur Rashid Turabi says, “The Fault is on the part of ERRA and other concerned officials as they have been issuing different code of conduct on different occasions.” He writes that the affectees are more perplexed when authorities apply double standard in this regard.

A strong protest was already staged under the auspices of Awami Action Forum Bagh and the authorities were urged to resolve the issue but no sincere effort had been made, he added. He hoped that the new government under dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister will take stock of the situation immediately. It is pertinent to mention that ERRA has stopped payment to the affectees on pretext that the residents have not used blocks of certain size.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Youssuf Raza Gillani has directed Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) to expedite reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in the earthquake affected areas and complete the work within the given timeframe.

He was chairing a special meeting here on Saturday that reviewed the performance of ERRA regarding reconstruction and rehabilitation. The Prime Minister also asked ERRA to involve elected representatives while giving final shape to the proposals regarding reconstruction activities.

He stressed the need for ensuring transparency accountability and international validity of the reconstruction process in the affected areas. The Prime Minister decided to hold ERRA Council meeting every month instead of three month with a view to speed up the whole reconstruction process and ease out the affected people. He approved seven hundred million rupees for land acquisition in new Balakot city. He also directed the AJK and NWFP governments to allocate money for maintenance of the new facilities in their respective areas to benefit the people in long run.

He asked ERRA to bring complete and solid suggestions regarding construction of new Balakot city in the next meeting of the council. Earlier, Chairman and Deputy Chairman of ERRA gave detail briefing regarding reconstruction activities in the Earthquake affected areas.

The Deputy Chairman informed the Prime Minister that reconstruction activities would be completed by April next year. He said ERRA was working with the concerned governments in twelve sectors of reconstruction. He said town planning for Muazaffarabad, Bagh, Rawalakot and new Balakot cities had been finalized.He said so far over two billion rupees had been disbursed to the people to reconstruct their homes.

He informed the meeting that 3,56,451 houses had been completed while 1,63,747 would be completed shortly. Similarly he said 5,343 educational institutions, 307 health facilities and 4080 water supplies and sanitations schemes would be completed by the end of current financial year. The Deputy Chairman said that according to initial estimates reconstruction required four point three billion dollars but due to price escalation one point four billion dollars would more be needed. End-SANA-IM