Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 30: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday directed concerned departments, especially water resources department to come up with ‘contingency’ plans while putting together programmes to handle possible floods.
The Chief Minister’s direction came at a meeting of the disaster management committee at the Secretariat Monday morning. Presiding over the meeting, the CM asked concerned officials in water resources department to identify weak river embankments.
Earlier, the department had identified 241 weak and vulnerable points of which 14 are considered highly critical, the water resources department informed the committee.
The Chief Minister asked the officials to take feedback from local people and leaders of river bank areas and prepare a foolproof feedback mechanism. “I would suggest the department to have a foolproof feedback mechanism directly from people living in vulnerable areas and people’s representatives. This is very important,” he said at the meeting.
He directed the water resources department to ensure that all past breaches in river embankments are repaired and adequate material stored near weak and vulnerable points.
While the Met department had predicted low precipitation during this monsoon, the CM said many parts of the state so far have received good rainfall. The agriculture minister Monday had also stated that the state has received 18 per cent higher than normal rainfall in June.
Patnaik, however, said the state government has to remain in a full state of preparedness to encounter both drought and flood situations and directed the agriculture department to make necessary crop planning for farmers in the event of a possible drought.
In case of a flood like situation, he directed officials to keep Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) as well as fire service in constant readiness to undertake rescue and relief operations. Further, he asked officials to ensure coordination for deployment of National Disaster Response Force in such eventualities.
Asking the departments to ensure pre-positioning of adequate food materials and other essential commodities in vulnerable and inaccessible areas, Patnaik said provision for supply of cattle feed, arrangements for supply of drinking water, health and hygiene should also be made.
The Chief Minister announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for victims’ families of seven state specific disasters. The state government has declared eight calamities as state specific disasters including lightning, heatwave, whirlwind, tornado, heavy rain, boat accidents, drowning and snakebites,
“The next of kin of the deceased of state specific disasters will get an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each barring the case of heatwave.”
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra, who attended the meeting, crticised the state government, saying the ground reality is totally different from what the government says. Farmers affected by a drought in 2011 are yet to be provided compensation, he said.
The meeting was attended by three MPs, 14 ministers, 20 MLAs, Chief Secretary, Development Commissioner and secretaries of all important departments.
