From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 3: As monsoon is set to arrive, chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday held a meeting with senior cabinet ministers and officials on the precautionary measures which need to be taken in Bengaluru and get ready with advance preparations to face any eventuality during the rainy season.
Deputy chief minister and higher education minister, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, revenue minister, R Ashok, housing minister, V Somanna, urban development minister B A Basavaraj, forests, Kannada and culture minister, Aravind Limbavali, cooperation minister, S T Somashekar, excise minister, Gopalaiah, chief minister’s additional chief secretary, Dr E V Ramana Reddy, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike administrator and urban development department additional chief secretary, Rakesh Singh, BBMP chief commissioner, Gaurav Gupta and other senior officials attended the meeting.
In addition to the permanent control rooms established in all the eight divisions of BBMP, another 63 temporary control rooms have been set up. All the control rooms will be working on a round-the-clock basis to attend to any distress calls and direct rescue measures to be taken. Unskilled manual labourers, supervisors and all essential materials plus equipment for rescue and relief operations will be procured and kept ready as part of the precautionary measures.
The chief minister directed the officials to immediately take permanent measures in the 209 danger-prone places and areas in the city, including 58 very dangerous and 151 dangerous ones that have been identified all over the city.
Steps are being taken to clear the debris piled up on the roads and also unclog the drainages, culverts and stormwater drain across the city to prevent waterlogging and flooding. In some of the bigger stormwater drains and water flowing canals, 26 water level sensors have been installed to caution against the rise in water levels beyond the danger mark.
The chief minister asked the officials to ensure that the 440-km long Rajakaluve in the city must be maintained properly to ensure a smooth flow of rainwater and prevent flooding in low-lying areas.