Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 17: Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Kota Srinivas Poojary, gave a call to the officials to stay prepared always to handle emergency situations during the monsoon season like natural disasters and floods. "In addition to making preparations as may be necessary, all kinds of precautionary measures have to be undertaken," he said.

The minister was speaking after presiding over a meeting about the advance preparations for the monsoon season, held on Sunday May 16 in the auditorium of the deputy commissioner's office here...

He pointed out that on account of low pressure area created over the Arabian Sea, the district has been experiencing heavy rain and strong wind for the last two days. He said that huge wages have caused water to gush into houses located by the side of the sea as well as rivers and rivulets, Due to speeding winds, several trees have been uprooted, and as the district administration took precautionary measures and shifted people facing peril to safer places, no deaths or injuries were reported, he noted.

"During the last 24 hours, a total of 380 people were shifted to safe places in the district and 28 areas suffered damages. 84 families were affected by the rain and wind while 14 houses sustained total loss. 108 were partly damaged while non-agricultural activities and animals largely remained unaffected," he explained. He advised the officials to conduct covid19 tests before shifting people identified to be facing danger from flood-prone areas to shelters. If the infection is confirmed, they should be transferred to Covid care centres, he directed.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, asked the officials to identify the flood-prone areas and shift people in danger to other places. In case of flood havoc in areas which were not identified earlier, national disaster response force, state disaster response force, and police department should support emergency rescue measures in consultation with the officials, he instructed.

He said that power supply may be interrupted by the trees falling on power lines, and the Mescom staff should be prepared to handle such eventualities.

Deputy commissioner Dr Rajendra K V, said that trees which fall because of storm and rain might float in rivers and block the dams in which case water collection may rise and water may enter the houses located near the catchment areas. He asked the gram panchayat or minor irrigation department or the taluk administrations to undertake measures to clear them forthwith.

MLA Vedavyas Kamath, asked the officials to disburse compensation to families facing losses due to floods besides arranging food for the affected people without delay. He noted that many road works are under way in the city and felt that it is advisable to stop the works till the monsoon season ends.

MLA U T Khader, asked the district administration to take precautionary measures in Ullal and Someshwar, which he said, face fear of floods. He also wanted the dredging work to be undertaken in rivers and canals located in rural areas to stop chances of floods. MLA Harish Poonja, sought the deployment of JCBs to remove trees which may fall to the roads during the monsoon season.

Legislators Dr Bharath Shetty and Pratap Simha Nayak, Rajesh Naik, zilla panchayat chief executive officer Dr Kumar, superintendent of police Rishikesh Sonawane, deputy commissioner of police Hariram Shankar, mayor Premananda Shetty, city corporation commissioner Akshy Sridhar and others were present.