Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jun 15: After presiding over a meeting organized at the office of Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner here on Monday June 14 towards taking precautionary measures to handle monsoon rains, natural calamity, flood etc., district in-charge minister, Krishna J Palemar, directed the officials to be in readiness to efficiently handle any eventualities that the district might encounter during the rainy season.
District deputy commissioner, V Ponnuraj, briefing the minister about various precautionary steps already taken by the administration, said that district level and taluk level meetings of the officials were conducted, and places which face the threat of floods have been identified in Mangalore and Bantwal taluks, which are comparatively more prone to experience floods. “A detailed natural calamity management plan has been prepared, and two officials to each of the identified zones have been designated to execute this plan. The heads of departments have been instructed not to leave their headquarters during monsoon months,” he explained.
Adding further, he informed that private boats have been identified for pressing them to service in emergencies, and as per plans, five boats in every region will be designated for handling natural calamities. In case of exigencies, to save lives, a list of expert divers has also been prepared, he added. The deputy commissioner instructed the fire brigade and forest department, to take steps to acquire additional machines for cutting trees, as he felt the fire brigade will not be able to cope up with the situation with the only machine they presently possess. He further said that 70 gruel centres in Mangalore taluk and four in Bantwal taluk, have also been identified.
During discussions, the officials of National Highways Authority of India said that the authority has decided to delete the Nantoor fly over plan from the national highway 17 widening project. The minister insisted that Nantoor fly over is the most important link of this project, and that this should be erected at any cost. The deputy commissioner informed that the fly over construction can move ahead now, as the Koraga families living in the area proposed to be acquired, are being shifted elsewhere. The officials said they would bring these facts to the notice of the authority. They also informed that B C Road, Kottara, Suratkal and Kuloor fly overs would be completed by the end of October.