Government puts all depts. on alert

Meeting also reviews precautions to taken after monsoon sets in

The State government has directed all the key departments to be on the alert in view of the ongoing heatwave conditions as well as onset of monsoon in June second week.

With the south-west monsoon advancing further into some parts of the Andaman and Nicobar islands till Wednesday, the government is anticipating that the onset of monsoon in the State is likely to be around June 10 or the next day.

Chief Secretary S.K. Joshi convened a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of different departments in tackling the situation arising out of intense heat wave. The meeting also review the precautions that should be taken after the monsoon sets in.

The Chief Secretary wanted the officials concerned to send timely advisories to farmers in the event of continuance of the heat wave conditions. The departments concerned should ensure effective coordination to ensure that rain related information is shared at all levels and timely warnings be disseminated in the event of heavy rainfall. Officials should effectively coordinate with the control rooms set up at the State and district-levels and should transmit the information received from the India Meteorological Department from time to time to the grass root levels.

Focus should be in tackling urban flooding and officials concerned should concentrate on renovation and restoration of dilapidated buildings.

Steps should be taken to position required quantities of seed and fertilizer so that they can be supplied to farmers as and when needed.

Revenue Department Special Chief Secretary Rajeswar Tiwari informed the participants that the department is geared up to provide rainfall data to the districts on a daily basis while the situation would be reviewed with the district Collectors and senior officials periodically.

Health Department Principal Secretary A. Shanti Kumari said the department is prepared for taking up measures to check spread of water borne diseases, and that medicines for malaria, diarrhoea and other ailments are stocked in sufficient numbers.

GHMC Commissioner Dana Kishore informed that 195 mobile teams have been deployed for taking up relief operations while flood maps relating to the GHMC area are being prepared in association with the National Remote Sensing Agency.

The disaster response teams of the GHMC would work on 24×7 basis while steps have been taken to clean nalas/stormwater drains in different parts of the city.

Transport, Roads & Buildings Department Principal Secretary Sunil Sharma, City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar and other senior officials attended the meeting.

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