Chief Minister Pema Khandu pitches for advance disaster warning system in Arunachal

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: With Arunachal Pradesh witnessing incessant rains in the past couple of days, triggering landslides and floods in several districts, Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday laid stress on the need for a robust advance warning system so that people can be warned in advance and loss of lives avoided due to natural disaster.

Chairing a meeting on monsoon preparedness with all departments concerned including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), at the State Civil Secretariat here, Pema Khandu insisted that the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) should be active round the clock for the entire duration of the monsoon.

He also suggested that SDRF and NDRF should avoid granting leave to its personnel and remain alert with full strength, an official communiqué informed here.

"Human life is precious. We must go to the extreme to prevent loss of lives," the Chief Minister asserted and called upon the officials of the State disaster management not to depend only on telephonic or WhatsApp messages, but to personally contact their officials in the districts in case any warning has to be conveyed.

Taking the status report of preparedness from all concerned, Khandu expressed satisfaction that the State machinery was well prepared to face disasters, if any.

"Though we do not want any disaster to fall upon us, we cannot deny the fact that nature is unpredictable and we need to be prepared. Arunachal Pradesh, owing to its strategic geographical location, has to face the situation every monsoon," he said.

Appreciating the system adopted by the disaster management department for keeping track of all weather forecasts by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and sending warning messages to vulnerable districts, Khandu observed that bad weather often disrupts data services.

He added that officials at the SDMA should personally call the district administrations or the District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) concerned to ensure that the warning is conveyed in advance.

Lauding the Capital district administration for evacuating 17 households from vulnerable areas within the State capital, Khandu directed all Deputy Commissioners to follow suit so as to avoid loss of human lives.

To the concerns raised by the SDMA and Deputy Commissioners regarding provision of immediate relief to disaster victims, the Chief Minister advised the State Finance Department to coordinate with the SDMA and ease release of funds for the purpose.

He also endorsed the suggestion to equip police stations with basic equipment and first aid kits for relief operations as the police is the first force to be approached in case of any disaster-related incident.

Khandu also requested the SDMA to work on it and do the necessary immediately. As far as funds are concerned, he said that the SDMA has sufficient funds.

"At least four months of monsoon lies ahead. Let's be fully prepared," Khandu added.

Advisor to Disaster Management Tanpho Wangnaw, who has been visiting all vulnerable places and recent landslide venues in the State capital, blamed rampant and illegal earth-cutting by citizens as the major cause of landslides.

Advocating strict action as per law against persons indulging in illegal earth-cutting, Wangnaw also raised concern over failure of officials, especially in the districts, in submitting reports on disasters and losses incurred.

He said that for want of reports, the SDMA is unable to process immediate relief for the victims, which amounts to injustice.

As per details provided by the SDMA, till Wednesday 14 districts, 33 villages and about 3,000 people had been affected, while seven persons including four in the State capital and three in the Kurung Kumey district died due to landslides.

Two persons are also reported missing, one each in Itanagar and Anjaw.

At least 7.6 hectares of cultivated fields have been destroyed while 392 houses have been damaged across the State.

In the State capital, three temporary relief camps, one each at Banderdewa, Naharlagun and Itanagar, have been designated. However, these camps are lying vacant as all the evacuees of 17 households have preferred to shift to respective relatives' places. The lone relief camp established at Tezu in the Lohit district presently has 92 inmates.

According to officials, no major damage has been reported on highways, sufficient food grains is in stock, water supply to the State capital restored and the medical department is ready with teams for any emergency.

The meeting was attended by in-charge Chief Secretary Kaling Tayeng, Commissioner Planning Prashanta Lokhande and officials of Finance, Health, Food and Civil Supply, PWD (Highway), PHE, Disaster Management, Papum Pare and Itanagar district administrations, police, NDRF and SDRF, the communiqué added.

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