Jamshedpur : District administration has begun taking preventive measures to
contain any threat of flash flood in the city. The deputy commissioner
of East Singhbhum has asked the civic bodies to carry cleanliness
drive at the drains.
The officials of various departments have been directed to carry out
cleanliness of various localities, culverts, drains and other parts of
the city within three days. The DC has ordered that the low-lying
areas situated close to the Swarnarekha and Kharkai rivers should be
earmarked so that preventive action may be taken in case of heavy
rains and flooding of such areas.
Three municipal bodies, Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC),
Mango Notified Area Committee (MNAC) and Jugsalai Municipality have
been asked to start the work.
It may be mentioned that the torrential rain coupled with opening of
gates of two dams by Odisha and heavy rains and floods in Jharkhand,
West Bengal and Odisha flooded Jamshedpur in June 2008 and brought
life to a standstill.
Normal life was badly hit with over 10,000 people becoming homeless.
Over 2,000 farm animals were washed away in the floodwater. Even last
year, the rain brought life to a standstill.
However this time administration is planning to take preventive
measures pre-hand so that horrors of the flood are not repeated. The
administration is working on plans to ensure safety and better flood
management system during the monsoon season.
�Though the rains in the city have been normal this time but we are
working on a strategy to coordinate in such a way that the there is no
negative impact of rains in the city. We will also streamline the
functioning of Disaster Management Cell,� said an official.
The East Singhbhum administration has also decided to open up a
control room that will coordinate with different agencies working to
check the effects of incessant rains. � We are taking preventive
measures as this time we are not going to take any chances but steps
are being taken to prepare an action plan to combat flood situation.
All the notified area committees will supervise the operations in
their jurisdictions while the control room will keep in touch with
them,� said a district official.