Minister Chandan Brahma reviews flood preparedness in Chirang

OUR CORRESPONDENT

BONGAIGAON: Minister for Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Classes and Tourism, Government of Assam, Chandan Brahma, on Monday held a meeting with the district administration and district heads of the departments to review the flood preparation and response mechanism in place in Chirang district. During the meeting, he took stock of the current status of vulnerable embankments, roads, bridges and buildings and measures taken by the respective departments.

The meeting chaired by Gautam Talukdar, Deputy Commissioner of Chirang, was attended by Bijni MLA Kamalsing Narzary, other officials of district administration and district departmental heads from the Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) department, Public Works Department (PWD), Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Agriculture, Public Health Engineering (PHE), Veterinary and Animal Husbandry (V&AH), Education, Transport, Water Resources, Soil Conservation, as well as from the land revenue department.

Speaking on the occasion, minister Chandan Brahma stated that the district would have to be fully prepared to deal with any eventuality that might arise due to a flood-like situation. He called upon the officials of health department and FCS&CA to keep sufficient stock of medicines, availability of doctors, para medical staff and food and other essential commodities. He gave instruction to the Joint Director, Health Services for procurement of disinfectants to be used in the event of floods for containment of water-borne diseases. As such, he asked the Water Resources department to devise flood management and mitigation plans by arranging funding source immediately. He further directed PWD, Water Resources and Soil Conservation to take up all urgent works immediately to ensure that works were completed on time. Instructions were also given on resuming pending and approved schemes at all vulnerable spots and keeping men and machinery in ready mode to deal with flood-like situation emerging anywhere in the district.

The minister also asked the PHE officials to take schemes with the aim of providing drinking water for the people of Indo-Bhutan border areas. He further ordered them to continue their sanitization works, especially in public places like market areas, offices and bus stand. While reviewing the pace of execution of MGNREGA and PMAY under DRDA, Chirang, minister Brahma directed the Project Director to resume all pending works by engaging job card holders and taking all necessary precautionary measures like maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, avoiding mass gathering and applying personal hygiene during the lockdown for COVID-19 pandemic. He also asked the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry departments to keep ready cattle fodder and medicines.

In the meeting, the Inspector of Schools apprised the house about their initiatives for taking online classes with the help of technology, which had so far covered 70 per cent in the district. Deputy Commissioner Gautam Talukdar stressed strict punctuality of officers concerned during this crucial period due to coronavirus pandemic.