Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB/EP)

Udupi, May 4: Deputy commissioner of the district, Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, issued directions to the officials, asking them to clear all the obstacles and impediments which could cause problems in the smooth movement of traffic during the monsoon months and also during natural disasters within a week. She was speaking after chairing a meeting held in the deputy commissioner’s office for reviewing precautionary measures needed to be undertaken to handle monsoon season.

“Rain water is likely to accumulate in several places in the district as highway and drainage works have not been executed properly. Those can become life threatening in the absence of reflectors or boards. Therefore, national highway authority and department of national highways should get down to work immediately so that no problems are encountered in the rainy season. Criminal cases will be registered against the officials who are found negligent in handling the work expected from them,” she warned.

“All the tahsildars in the district should be in constant touch with highway authorities regarding highway traffic in their jurisdiction during the rainy season. Kundapur sub divisional officer in particular has to continuously monitor the situation,” she instructed.

“Drainage including main drains should be cleaned in the district and rural areas so that rain water flows smoothly in them. Chief officers of urban bodies, panchayat development officers of local gram panchayats etc should perform their duties properly. Cleanliness should be maintained in the monsoon season to prevent spread of epidemic. Control rooms in local bodies and taluk offices should be kept open all the 24 hours in a day. Forest department should respond immediately when trees get uprooted due to rains, strong wind etc on buildings or roads causing power failures and should see that traffic is restored at the earliest, she added.

Precautions should be taken to prevent spread of epidemic

Sufficient stock of injections and medicines for all illnesses should be maintained. Health department control room should function for 24 hours in a day and primary health centres should be asked to be prepared for all eventualities. Ambulances should be equipped with medical facilities. Postmortem reports should be provided immediately in the instances of unnatural deaths during monsoons,” she directed the district health officer.

Use of school buildings as and when necessary

“The department of education should provide school buildings for being converted into as relief camps-cum-gruel centres when necessary. As many children die while going to swim in the rainy season, children should be asked against undertaking this activity during the rainy season. A meeting of children and parents should be held in June and the matter should be explained to them,” she said.

She asked Mescom to make sure that power supply is resumed without delay whenever the supply is disrupted due to fall of trees. “A control room should be opened for the purpose and its telephone number should be made known to people. Fire brigade should be equipped to meet the season’s needs. Necessary boats should be kept ready during floods,” she directed.

“Work in low lying areas, sides of bridges and safety measures at vented dams should be taken up. Wooden planks of vented dams should be opened so that water may flow freely in the rainy season,” she told the officials of the minor irrigation department.

Malpe port

“Fishing by using mechanized boats and deep sea fishing should be banned during the rainy season. Fishing department officials should convey to the fishermen immediately the messages received from weather department,” the DC said.

Immediate disbursal of compensation: “The amount released to the tahsildar from natural calamity fund should be disbursed immediately to the beneficiaries. A 24 hours control room should be opened in the taluk office for disaster management and necessary staff should be deployed there. Details of available boats and swimmers should be obtained as a precautionary measure,” she said.

Criminal cases over accidents in quarries

“As people have lost lives due to swimming in stagnant water in quarries, boards stating that swimming is banned should be hung over them. Criminal cases will be registered against quarry owners or contractors in case of mishaps,” she said.

“24 hours control rooms should be opened in police department, Zilla Panchayat, health department, fire brigade, municipal council, town panchayat, taluk office, Mescom and taluk panchayat. The complaints received should be disposed off immediately,” she said.

Zilla panchayat chief executive Sindhu B Roopesh, district SP Nisha James, additional DC Vidyakumari and different department officials were present.