With the monsoon reaching the State in the second week of June, the State Government on Friday asked all the departments to prepare their disaster management plan as early as possible before the onset of monsoon to enable the Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMAS) to develop a strategy for practical implementation.
Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik, who discussed the measures to be taken to combat the calamities during the monsoon and post monsoon season with the senior officials of all departments, asked the OSDMA to be ready with all emergency equipment and modern technology to meet possible cyclones.
The issues relating to dissemination of information of pre-cyclone warning, status of present warning system, functioning of alternative communication system during disaster, restoration of power supply and telecommunication, readiness of ODRAF team, deployment of boats and readiness of rescue and emergency operation system were discussed.
The Chief Secretary also directed all the departments and district administrations to submit utilization certificates against the funds released to them earlier to meet the calamity. Patnaik warned that non-submission of UCs in time will lead to stopping of the salary of the defaulting officers.
Since the post monsoon period from October to December is more prone to cyclones in the State, it was decided that the State Emergency Centre, AIR, Doordarshan and Meteorological Department will be connected with telephone hot-lines. The Chief Secretary directed the ODRAF, Fire Service department and OSDMA to keep all emergency equipment in operating condition. In the meantime, the OSDMA has started operational inventory of all equipment as per earlier directions of the Chief Secretary, sources said.
According to official sources, it was decided to keep 10 units of the ODRAF team in all readiness. These teams will be placed at different places like Cuttack, Chhatrapur, Koraput, Baleswar, Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar, Paradip, Bolangir, Baripada and Rourkela from where they will move different districts.
The ODRAF team has been provided with 107 inflatable rubber boats. A total of 272 boats are now available with the State Port Engineering Organisation out of which 26 have been put to repair. The Chief Secretary asked the district and block administrations to keep advance track of all private and country boats available locally and register them all for rescue and relief operations.
The Chief Secretary also asked CESU and BSNl to adopt latest technology for quick erection of electric poles and telephone towers, even if temporarily, for resumption of power supply and telecommunication within least possible time.
The BSNl has been asked to give all the details of operating telephone towers and areas uncovered through telecommunication. According to sources, the BSNl has decided to erect another 1,000 towers in the State covering the coastal, hilly and forest areas soon.