The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has imposed an extreme cold weather emergency due to the “extraordinary cold wave” that has gripped the province.
“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 Monday.
The provincial government has imposed the emergency under Section 16(A)(1) of the National Disaster Management (KP) Act, 2010.
As per the notification, the deputy commissioners have been directed to “establish temporary shelters”. The DCs have been asked to ensure that the shelters provide breakfast and dinner and bedding to the needy.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has been tasked to provide funds for the shelter houses to the DCs. “The deputy commissioners shall also provide cooked meals three times a day to those families whose houses have been damaged due to extreme weather conditions,” 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.
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.