Assam CM Sarma holds meeting with officials, reviews flood preparedness

Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 11 (ANI): In view of the onset of the Monsoon and the possibility of rain-induced flood across the state, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday held a video conference with the DCs and other senior officers of the state administration to put in place all necessary steps and ramp up flood preparedness and response system.

In a video conference from his office chamber in Janata Bhawan in Guwahati today, Chief Minister Sarma said, “With the monsoon setting in, in the state, 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.”

The Chief Minister asked the Principal Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management Gyanendra Dev Tripathi to take steps for prepositioning of NDRF and SDRF personnel in vulnerable districts especially in Dima Hasao.

He also asked ASDMA to activate risk communication and early warning systems to warn the people against the potential threats of flood.

In the event of flood water submerging the low-lying habitable areas, the Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to set up relief camps and streamline relief distribution in even the relief distribution centres.

He asked the DC 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 make the geo bags available in adequate numbers in the vulnerable areas. He asked the DCs to assess the available stock of food materials and the availability of buffer stock and fodder stock in their respective districts.

Moreover, referring to the damage caused to the embankment in the Cachar district last year which caused a catastrophic flood in the district with a very widespread impact in Silchar town and its adjoining areas, the Chief Minister asked the DCs to have a vigil and if required area domination to avert any unscrupulous elements causing harms to embankments which might lead to large scale flood.

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.

CM Sarma also asked the DCs to keep doctors and nurses in the relief camps to attend to any medical emergency of the camp inmates.

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

He also asked GMC Commissioner Megha Nidhi Dahal to clean drains across the city on a regular basis to avert siltation or garbage causing any blockage on the movement of water.

The Chief Minister also took stock of the working condition of the water suction pumps deployed in several areas of the city.

During the conference, CM Sarma asked all the DCs to fill up the holes dug up for construction purposes on a priority basis.

Moreover, if any hole cannot be filled up because of the nature of construction purposes, the holes should be bamboo barricaded with red ribbon clung around barricades to avert any accidents.

Taking a serious look at the latest road accidents that took place due to dug-up holes on the roads, Chief Minister Sarma 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 the road.

CM Sarma also asked PWD, NHAI, and NHIDCL to see the road conditions in flood-prone and landslide-prone areas, especially along the stretch of the roads which lead to Hill districts and Barak Valley districts and take contingency measures.

He said, “State government is available on a 24X7 basis to address the issues and concerns of the citizens.”