With monsoon about to arrive in Jharkhand, Disaster Management Department is getting busy with its plans which will allow the State to enjoy the rains minus the drawbacks associated with the season in the State: thunderclaps and mishaps during the rainy season.
In the third meeting of State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) this Friday, the disaster management officials of Jharkhand chalked out several long-term and short-term strategies for the State. Adopting lightning arresters and appointing Civil Defence Volunteers (CDV) feature prominently in the latter head.
“lightning arresters are devices which prevents thunderbolts from striking at all, as opposed to lightning conductors which merely earths lightning. This new technology will be installed in all important government buildings across Jharkhand before the onset of monsoon in State. Advisories will be issued to private parties, asking them to use this technology in their structures too,” stated Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, Department’s State Programme Officer.
In due course of time, all public buildings will be equipped with lightning arresters depending on their lightning sensitivity, added Srivastava. Disaster Management Department will also recruit 100 Civil Defence Volunteers (CDV) from every district.
“CDVs will be called on in times of calamities to assist with relief work. They will be awarded legal rights and stipends for their work. A contingent of 45 CDVs has already been trained and will look after crowd management during Shravani Mela celebrations in Deoghar. The CDVs will perform their duties in uniforms making them stand out from the crowd,” Srivastava said.
Moreover, in coming days, the common man will also be associated with disaster management by bringing them in the loop, stated Srivastava while talking about the State Disaster Management Mitigation Network, which is to be developed on the lines of the one in Karnataka under the long-term plans of the Department.
This network will be established within the next two years after procuring the required machinery and appointing skilled workforce. This will also expedite the process of disaster management in State, Srivastava said.
“We had to face difficulties in announcing drought last year due to unavailability of related data. State Meteorological Department records rainfall only, whereas moisture content data is furnished by Central bodies; it took three months to get that data. With our own equipments and network, this process will go down a lot faster and smoother,” stated Srivastava.
He further added, “Relevant data about rainfall, atmospheric and soil moisture, humidity and such will be compiled at our State Emergency Operation Centre and will be forwarded to people so that they can be prepared. This information will be disseminated right down to villages through panchayat secretariats’ functionaries, who are usually unprepared for impending disaster until it strikes.”
State and District disaster management authorities will be set up within three months, complete with all the necessary equipments and officials, said Srivastava.