BEIJING: Pakistan with the Chinese assistance has undertaken an ambitious programme to lay a network of Seismic Centres in the country to take preventive steps from geophysical hazards, said a Senior Research officer at Pakistan Met Office here Monday.“Eight out of ten planned Seismic Centres have already been completed and started trial functions” said Dr. Ghulam Rasool, Head of Research and Development at Pakistan Metreological Department in an interview with APP Sunday.Dr. Rasool was here to represent Pakistan in an Experts Meeting of Asia-Pacific countries in Beijing from 6-9 April.Named “Pak-China Digital Seismic Network”, Dr. Rasool said that the equipments and technical assistance for these centres have been provided by our all weather friend free of cost.
The work on the remaining two centres planned for Balochistan province is in progress.The centres established in all the four provinces and Gilgit Baltistan would help greatly to monitor the seismic activity throughout the region in timely and affective manners. Based on this prompt information, relief measures can be taken in effective way and Tsunami timely warning can be issued to save the lives of coastal population.He pointed out that now ten such centers are already in operation and with addition of these centres the performance and services of Met office would further improve.
He explained that all these centres would record data and information would be transmitted through Satellite subsequently to the Met Headquarter in Islamabad where data will be processed on high speed computer and warnings will be issued through media for public.In case of earthquake disaster, the relief teams with proper equipment may be dispatched well in time that can help save human life and property to great extent.Dr. Rasool pointed out that the Centres established with Chinese assistance would be formally launched this year, as part of Pakistan, China Friendship year. – APP
