Alarmed over the damages caused during heavy storm on May 31 last which uprooted several trees felling on the electricity lines resulting into long power cuts and road blockades claiming nine lives in Jharkhand, the state disaster management department is to rope in National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) at some strategic locations across the State to take on any emergency situation this monsoon.
“National disaster response teams are being deployed in the low lying areas in the State. One team will be deployed at Sahebganj one at Deoghar and another team will be kept reserved in Ranchi covering Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Palamu,” said State Programme Officer in Disaster Management Department Colonel SK Srivastav. Each team will be constituted by 45-50 members in it, he added.
According to Srivastav, this is for the first time that the NDRT are being prepositioned at various locations in order to check any inconvenience or casualty during this monsoon.
Nine persons got killed in a powerful storm that raged across the State on May 31 following which several electricity poles and trees were uprooted by the gale force winds disrupting power supply in most of the parts in Jharkhand and low-lying areas got inundated.
Pulling up socks before this monsoon the department has also issued checklist for the Deputy Commissioners beforehand which must be completed before the onset of monsoon. The concerned departments have been directed to be prepared to tackle any emergency situation without any casualty or inconvenience to the common man.
“The electricity department along with road construction and forest department has been asked to coordinate among themselves and trim those soft trees on the road side which may fall on the electricity lines and block the roads creating problems for the commuters,” added Srivastav.
In addition, adjoining states are also being coordinated to inform the state government regarding their activity related to the water movement in their dams beforehand, so that action could be taken in time.
“It is being assured that any additional release of water from the dams in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will be coordinated with Jharkhand government,” said Srivastav. Release of water from dams in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha causes much damage to Jamsehdpur, East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts in the State, added Srivastav.
“Districts have also been asked to check up life jackets. Disaster management plans of respective districts have also been reviewed and updated,” he said.
According to Srivastav, a co-ordination meeting was recently conducted along with the DCs of all districts who have been asked to set up a control room for the purpose of monitoring in case a disaster happens in their districts.
Health department, on the other hand, has also been asked to keep stocks of medicines ready for the common diseases during monsoon season. “The Deputy Commissioners have confirmed their preparations to take on monsoon this season,” he added.
Moreover, the district heads have also been asked to make public the numbers of control rooms which are being set up in their districts. “The DCs will monitor the dams personally during the monsoons so that timely action could be taken before any untoward incident takes place,” he said.
Moreover, directions have also been passed by Chief Secretary Sajal Chakraverty to the districts having water transport facilities to ensure that only motorised boats operate in the ferry sites during monsoon season in order to avoid them get clogged-up into the flow of river water.