CM Sarbananda Sonowal visits ASDMA office & emergency control room

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today visited the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) at Janata Bhawan and took stock of the different early warning systems, databases and emergency operations. He also chaired a review meeting of the ASDMA at its office conference hall and instructed the ASDMA officials to efficiently use technology for issuing early warning of natural calamities to minimize damage of lives and property.

Emphazizing on the need for coordination among all the levels of ASDMA mechanism right from the village to state level, the Chief Minister instructed the officials to generate awareness among the masses about the usage of early warning information about floods, lightening etc disseminated by ASDMA so that they can take precautions beforehand. Sonowal also directed ASDMA for sending advanced warning of impending natural calamity through All India Radio and Doordarshan so that maximum people can be reached at the grassroots.

The Chief Minister Sonowal also said that since Assam falls in the high seismic zone people of the state should be encouraged to form a habit of being prepared for such disasters by ASDMA through regular awareness activities, seminars, mock drills etc and he also suggested providing knowledge of traditional boat operation to the people in flood prone areas as contingency survival measures. He also directed the state officials of ASDMA to hold video conference with the gaonburhas to gather real time information from the ground level about floods and other such calamities. The Chief Minister also asked the ASDMA to arrange a telephonic conference with the gaonburhas soon where he himself would participate to gauge the disaster preparedness at the grassroots.

Saying that wearing of life jackets should be made mandatory for passengers travelling by boats and ferries for averting untoward incidents during the rainy season, Sonowal stressed on the need to supply adequate life jackets for ensuring strict adherence of the same, a press release said.