Why do you react after incidents? CM Himanta Biswa Sarma asks DCs

CM REVIEWS FLOOD PREPAREDNESS

 STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Worried over the recent deaths of people falling into ditches, one in Dibrugarh and the other in Guwahati, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asked the deputy commissioners what prevents them from acting before the occurrence of such incidents and not afterwards.

The Chief Minister said this at a virtual conference with the deputy commissioners on the preparedness for floods today.

The Chief Minister asked all the DCs to fill up the holes that were dug up for construction purposes on a priority basis. “Moreover, if any hole cannot be filled up because of the nature of the construction purpose, the holes should be barricaded with red ribbon clung around barricades to avert any accidents within two days,” he said.

The Chief Minister asked the DCs to allot phone numbers with a request to the residents of the district to inform the administration about the existence of any uncovered holes on roads. “The administration should act immediately after receiving complaints from the public. When roads get inundated, the public has no way out to identify the very spots where holes exist, and that may risk their lives. If any such incidents occur in the future, I will ask the SPs to take action directly against the erring people. I don’t expect negligence of duty from any official,” he said.

In view of the onset of the monsoon and the possibility of rain-induced floods across the state, the Chief Minister asked the officers of the state administration to put in place all necessary steps and ramp up flood preparedness and response systems.

He asked the DCs of the districts adjoining Bhutan to keep in touch with the authorities in the neighbouring country on their rainfall, as waters from that country cause havoc in many districts in lower Assam.

He said that all the government departments, including NHAI, NHIDC, NDRF, and SDRF, should become alert to negotiate with the flood and reach out to the affected people.

He asked the Principal Secretary for Revenue and Disaster Management, Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, to take steps for the prepositioning of NDRF and SDRF personnel in vulnerable districts, especially in Dima Hasao. He also asked ASDMA to activate risk communication and an early warning system to warn people against the potential threats of flooding.

He asked the DCs to take all necessary steps to visit the embankment breach areas of the last year to do the vulnerability mapping and take precautionary measures accordingly. He also asked the DCs to assess the available stock of food materials and the availability of buffer stock and fodder stock in their respective districts.

While taking stock of the availability of doctors and medicines to address any medical issues in flood-affected areas, the Chief Minister asked the DCs to hold meetings and prepare a contingency plan for their respective districts. He also asked the DCs to keep doctors and nurses in the relief camps to attend to any medical emergencies among the camp inmates.

The Chief Minister also asked the Kamrup (Metro) DC to have constant surveillance on 382 landslide-prone areas of the district and take remedial steps, if required, in case of heavy and incessant rain.

The Chief Minister asked PWD, NHAI, and NHIDCL to see the road conditions in flood-prone and landslide-prone areas, especially along the stretch of roads that lead to Hill districts and Barak Valley districts and take contingency measures. He said that the state government is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to address the issues and concerns of the citizens.

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