Jamshedpur, May 20: District administration has begun taking preventive measures to contain any threat of flash floods in the city. The deputy commissioner of East Singhbhum has asked the civic bodies to carry out cleanliness drives at the drains.
The officials of various departments have been directed to carry out the cleanliness of multiple 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 to take preventive action 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 the 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 in the last few years, the rain brought life to a standstill.
However, this time the administration is planning to take preventive measures pre-hand so that the horrors of the flood are not repeated. The administration is working on plans to ensure safety and a better flood management system during the monsoon season.
“Though the rains in the city have been normal this time, we are working on a strategy to coordinate so that there is no negative impact of rains in the city. We will also streamline the functioning of the 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 the 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.