Hailakandi DC Megha Nidhi Dahal takes stock of preparations for flood

A Correspondent

HAILAKAND: A flood preparedness meeting was organized by the District Disaster Management Authority here on Sunday.

Chairing the first meeting after assuming charge on Saturday, Deputy Commissioner cum Chairman, DDMA, Megha Nidhi Dahal asked the Water Resources department to take up anti-erosion and flood protection work, including plugging of breaches before the arrival of monsoon. Dahal asked the department to focus on the vulnerable stretches and to take up protection work immediately.

Executive Engineer, Water Resources Division apprised the Deputy Commissioner that 23 schemes under SDRF have been submitted to the government, out of which two schemes have been accorded sanction. The Executive Engineer also informed that four flood protection schemes under SDRF and two under NABARD are going on and would be completed by May 17. Dahal asked the official to submit the list of schemes for onward transmission to the government for sanction. On the PWD Rural Roads front, the Executive Engineer informed the DC that out of 10 schemes under SDRF, eight have been completed and the remaining two schemes would be done within the current month.

District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officer informed that 566.25 quintals of fodder (wheat bran) were distributed to the affected farmers during floods in 2018 and sought advance procurement of fodder for meeting flood emergency situation. The DC asked the Veterinary Officer to create awareness among the farmers for cultivation of fodder to meet any exigency. The Veterinary Officer asked for arrangement of vehicle for procuring medicines for livestock from Dispur to which the DC assured of support.

Dahal instructed the Assistant Director, Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to fix up the rate for tarpaulin and other essential items before the onset of rainy season. The Station Officer, Fire and Emergency Services, apprised the DC that only one IRB boat out of five is in order and asked for assistance for repairing of the same. DC, Dahal asked the officer to submit a cost estimate proposal for repairing of boats after getting it endorsed from the competent authority

The DC asked the Circle Officers to start the process of identifying the number of country boats that would be needed for relief and rescue operations with the help of local police and IWT personnel, and to submit the list to DDMA for necessary action. He also directed the Circle Officers to submit the extent of damages caused by cyclone this year. Dahal told the Circle Officers that whenever they submit flood or any other natural calamity damage report, geo-tagging has to be ensured for getting necessary approval.

Dahal also took stock of the extent of damages to the tune of 12,000 hectares of sali paddy and underlined the need for setting up of community nursery to meet the requirement of seeds in a flood like emergency situation. Officials of the Agriculture department informed the DC that 80 hectares of land have been identified for setting up of community nursery.

The DC took stock of the progress of civil work under SDRF in the fisheries sector in which 142 ponds were badly damaged by flood in 2018. Earlier, Additional Deputy Commissioner cum CEO, DDMA, RK Dam welcomed the DC and asked Branch Officer, DDMA, Rahul Doley to give a presentation on the flood damages during 2018 and an overview of schemes taken up under SDRF.

The meeting was attended, among others, by District Development Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Health, Superintendent of Police, Circle Officers, district heads of line departments and officials of DDMA.  

Also Read: Mask selling drive by Women SHGs in Hailakandi