Chief Minister Raman Singh has categorically told all the district collectors to ensure that none of the gates of any dams are opened suddenly during the monsoon season to avoid a repeat of tragedy at Beas and Damodar rivers in Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand States respectively.
Singh had also directed the collectors to take all necessary precautions before gates of irrigation dams are opened during the monsoon season.He also directed to keep continuous vigil on the water level of rivers and rivulets during monsoons with the help of the Water Resources Department.The Chief Minister told the collectors that in case of rise in water levels in dams, people of the downstream districts and officers of neighbouring States should be informed at least 12 hours in advance. Gates of dams should not be opened all of a sudden.
He said, ‘If it is necessary to release water, people should be informed in advance about it through various communication mediums, so that they could get sufficient time to move to safe places.’Singh has also appealed to the students, youths and people in general not to go around rivers and rivulets and irrigation dams unnecessarily during rainy season.
If it is necessary, they should take full precaution, take guidance from local officers and adhere to security rules and regulations, he added.
The Chief Minister expressed deep sorrow over the death of 24 students in Beas river incident in Himachal Pradesh. Singh, in order to deal with possibility of heavy rain, told the collectors to make advance preparations for disaster management at war footing in their respective districts. He asked them to open flood control rooms operating round-the-clock in district and Tehsil headquarters and to inform people about their telephone numbers through publicity mediums.
The Chief Minister told the collectors to nominate flood control officers at district and Tehsil level.A State-level flood control room has opened in the office of the Commissioner, land Records in Raipur and its telephone number 0771-2510593 and fax number is 0771-2510823.Singh also asked the collectors to identify such areas, where flood like situation created every year and to prepare action plan to open relief camps at such places, in view of advance preparations for disaster management.
He asked to make sufficient quantity of life-saving medicines available to Mitanins and health workers for treatment of epidemics.The Chief Minister directed the Water Resources, Health, livestock Development, PWD, Police, Urban Administration and Development, Panchayat and Rural Development and Forest departments, Nagar Sena and Home Guards and Electricity Companies to be vigilant for disaster management during rainy season.