July 19, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 15, 1429

MANSEHRA, July 18: The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) has established the first ever Disaster Risk Reduction Management Cell here on Friday.

District Coordinator Officer (DCO) Israr Khan inaugurated the cell during a ceremony. Speaking on the occasion he appreciated establishment of the cell and said that after the October 8, 2005 earthquake, it was need of the hour to train people to cope with natural calamities.

The DCO said that Mansehra was a high-risk district where floods and landsliding were common following the devastating earthquake.

Project director Nonial Shah and coordinator Jahangir Jaspal said that the Indian government had established training institutes in 2006 to cope with disasters and Pakistan needed to establish similar training insinuations.

The Erra came forward and establish the cell which was the first of its kind in the country, they added.

They said the cell would impart trainings to local communities, officials of NGOs and the government in this regard.

They said people from every union council would be taken as volunteers and they would be trained to cope with emergency situations.