OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: A flood preparedness meeting under the chairmanship of Varnali Deka, Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Kokrajhar was held here in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner's office on Saturday.
Initiating the discussion, Additional Deputy Commissioner and in-charge DDMA, Kokrajhar, Rajeev Kumar Das briefed about the importance of preparedness to any disaster to stay prepared to meet any kind of situation arising out of natural calamities and highlighted department wise-esponsibilities.
Reviewing the flood preparedness status of departments, Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of DDMA, Kokrajhar, Varnali Deka instructed all the departmental heads of the line departments and circle officers to prepare their flood management and response plans and to submit to the DDMA for incorporation in the district flood contingency plan. She asked to constitute a quick response team in every department with sufficient manpower by notifying one officer as nodal officer as well as to identify the vulnerable areas based on past flood history for smooth and prompt rescue and relief operation.
For effective functioning of the relief operation, she asked the Circle Officers to form circle level relief committees and to identify the suitable school buildings having basic facilities for establishment of relief camps in consultation with education department along with all line departments and circle officers to submit their daily flood reports regarding damages caused by storm, flood, if any for timely onward submission. She further directed the PWD rural roads division to identify all the vulnerable roads, bridges, and culverts and repair if necessary before the occurrence of flood, the Water Resources department to identify the weak and vulnerable embankments and dykes for taking adequate measures, the Food Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs to ensure availability of essential commodities for the monsoon season, the Joint Director of Health Services to maintain sufficient stock of life saving drugs, Public Health Engineering to maintain sufficient stock of hand tube wells and disinfectants for use in the flood-affected areas and relief camps, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department to ensure sufficient quantity of green gram, fodder and medicines, District Agriculture department to maintain sufficient stock of seedlings so as to help the flood affected farmers, and the Forest department to prepare a flood preparedness plan for 140 forest villages of the district and to keep ready of thatch, bamboo and firewood. She also requested the Kokrajhar Superintendent of Police to detail necessary security personnel as and when situation demands.
Keeping in mind of urban flooding and water logging, especially in Kokrajhar and Gossaigaon Municipal, she asked the municipal boards to clear all the blockages of water outlets, drains before the rainy season.
The meeting was also attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Pradip Kumar Gupta, Additional Deputy Commissioner and in-charge Civil Sub-Divisional Officer, Gossaigaon, Masanda Pertin, and other officers.
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