With the monsoon set to keep its tryst with Kodagu in the next few days, the authorities reviewed their preparations to meet any eventuality.
A meeting was convened in Madikeri on Friday, June 9, and Mantar Gowda, MLA, directed the officials to coordinate with different departments to mitigate any extremities in weather.
He said the revenue, forest, PWD, CESC and other departments should coordinate and ensure that they attend to any problems caused in case of a landslide, uprooting of trees or telephone and electricity poles. The teams constituted for the purpose should reach the affected spots immediately and carry out repairs or any other mitigatory exercise to tide over the crisis.
The MLA said relief centres should be stocked with basic necessities and be equipped to deal with flood victims who could be shifted from their villages.
The officials were also instructed to counsel those affected by floods and infuse psychological strength in them and professional counsellors should be roped in with the assistance of Department of Health.
The nodal officers in charge of different relief centres should ensure coordination among different wings and branches of the district administration, said Mr. Gowda.
The authorities were directed to impress upon the people living in the vulnerable areas to be ready to relocate at short notice. The Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) personnel were directed to ensure that electricity poles that are uprooted are immediately replaced and power supply restored at the earliest. Similarly, the forest department staff were asked to be on alert to clear the roads of any uprooted trees to pave way for traffic movement.
The district health officer was directed to monitor for any outbreak of water-borne diseases during monsoon and ramp up the preparations to handle any epidemic. The Education Department officials were instructed to ensure that no classes are conducted in schools identified to be in dilapidated conditions.
The ZP CEO Shekar said that meetings have been conducted at the Gram Panchayat levels and 19 schools have been identified for conversion as relief centres if need be. The principals of the respective schools will also function as nodal officers, he added.
There is a helpline at every Gram Panchayat and volunteers will also be deployed in case of any emergency, said the official. Shantilal Jatia, heading the NDRF at Kodagu, said that a team of 24 personnel are stationed in the district and they would be ready for deployment at any time in case of emergency.
