Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (NJC)
Mangaluru, June 1: With the southwest monsoon approaching, the Dakshina Kannada district administration has activated a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan to ensure public safety and swift emergency response across the district.
Deputy commissioner Darshan H V chaired a detailed disaster management review meeting and announced a series of precautionary and preparedness measures to strengthen the district’s emergency response system.
As part of the plan, Incident Commanders have been appointed across all local bodies. Engineers have been designated as Incident Commanders for all 60 wards of the Mangaluru City Corporation, while Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) will serve in the same capacity at the grama panchayat level.
Commissioners and chief officers of other urban local bodies have also been entrusted with disaster management responsibilities and empowered to take immediate decisions, including evacuation measures during emergencies such as floods and landslides.
The district administration has established 24x7 control rooms at district, taluk, zilla panchayat and municipal levels, which will function round the clock through June, July and August. A call-divert system has also been introduced to ensure uninterrupted emergency response, even during night hours.
A total of 115 care centres have been identified across the district to accommodate displaced residents during emergencies. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued to ensure these centres are equipped with essential facilities, including beds, bed sheets, toilets and fans.
The deputy commissioner also informed that repair works have been sanctioned for 91 government schools and 137 anganwadis under the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). The projects, estimated at Rs 1.5 crore for schools and Rs 2.5 crore for anganwadis, will be executed through the respective departments.
Strict instructions have been issued against the use of dilapidated government buildings, including schools, anganwadis and hospitals that pose safety risks. Concerned departments have been directed to inspect such structures and certify their structural fitness.
To strengthen emergency response, a 25-member National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team will be stationed in Puttur, while a 10-member State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team will be deployed in Subrahmanya for the next three months.
Essential rescue equipment, including boats, chain saws, life jackets, JCBs, tippers and cranes, will be kept ready through various departments and local bodies.
The administration has also identified landslide-prone stretches, including sections of National Highways 169 and 275. Concerned agencies have been instructed to install warning signboards and implement traffic diversions wherever required.
As part of health preparedness, the health department has been directed to intensify surveillance and preventive measures against vector-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria during the monsoon season.
Boating activities along the coastal belt will remain restricted during June and July, and boats with engines exceeding 10 HP will not be permitted to venture into the sea during the restriction period.
Special focus has been placed on tourist safety at trekking destinations across Subrahmanya, Sullia, Kadaba and Belthangady taluks. Authorities have been directed to identify hazardous locations, regulate trekking activities and impose restrictions wherever necessary. Warning boards will also be installed near rivers, beaches and other vulnerable areas.
The district administration has further directed that compensation for rain-related losses, including crop damage, house damage, livestock loss and human casualties, must be disbursed to affected beneficiaries within 24 hours of verification.
To ensure continuous monitoring, DDMA review meetings, earlier held once every two to three months, will now be conducted once every 15 days during the monsoon period. Progress of mitigation works and preparedness measures at the taluk level will be reviewed regularly.
The deputy commissioner also instructed all government officials to remain stationed at their respective headquarters for the next three months and obtain prior permission from competent authorities before leaving their jurisdiction.
The district administration reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring public safety through coordinated efforts, rapid response mechanisms and proactive disaster management measures throughout the monsoon season.