Kodagu Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr Venkat Raja after presiding over a meeting recently at his office hall at Madikeri regarding natural disaster directed all concerned that the natural calamity must be handled efficiently more rains are expected in the next few days as per IMD.
He said that the officers and staff of various departments such as revenue, public utility, panchayat raj, forest, CESC and fire department have so for performed efficiently in natural calamity management in the last one week and directed them to perform similarly in the coming days as well. The DC warned that necessary precautions should be taken to avoid any kind of damages either to properties or lives and as well as staff who were handling the issues.
Due to torrential rains in Kodagu district, reservoirs, waterfalls, ditches and rivers are overflowing and due to this the ground water has also been increased. Therefore, the DC informed care should be taken while handling these issues.
Speaking further he said that in the last 2018, 2019, 2020, during in the month of August there was record heavy rainfall and advised officials that more precautions should be taken regarding protecting life of people and livestock.
The DC further directed that due to torrential rains in Kodagu district, public utility and Panchayat Raj roads, CESC electricity poles and converters, Government school-college buildings, Government offices, house and crop damage should be monitored well and rectified on regularly.
Already Srimangala-Kutta Road, Shantalli Road and many other roads were damaged heavily due to nonstop rains, and these damaged roads should be filled with sand bags, gravel and a barricade should be installed for safety of drivers and added that care should be taken not to cause any kind of disruption to the traffic flow.
In case of temporary disruption in transport connectivity, it should be immediately brought to the attention of the district administration and alternative transport connectivity should be arranged.
DC directed the tashildar to shift residents to safer places or to the care centre in case of house damage or other problems due to high winds and rains and instructed to provide necessary basic facilities.
DC informed tashildars, Taluk Panchayat (TP)Executive Officers (EO’s), Forest, CESC, Fire Brigade, officers and staff of all concerned departments should perform their duties in the coming days in coordination. Â As per NDRF guidelines damages for houses, compensation should be distributed within 24 hours. More importance should be given to public safety, he added
He also said that meetings should be held at the village panchayat level and natural calamities should be tackled in a smooth way.
Regarding natural disaster management, the nodal officers were already assigned their work at Hobli level and they should report daily about the various types of damage and other conditions.
In the meeting the DC gave a clear direction to contact him directly for any urgent work to be done or any important information to be shared.
The DC also said that school buildings have been damaged in many parts of the district and more attention should be paid to the safety of children.
Speaking on the occasion District Superintendent of Police (SP) K. Ramarajan said that Public Works Department, Panchayat Raj, CESC, Forest and Fire Departments are working in coordination and praised them for working day and night and SP requested them to continue in same coordination in the coming days as more rain is expected in the coming days.
Speaking on the occasion the district health and family welfare officer informed that there are 14 active cases in the district and informed that larval survey is being done once a week for dengue control.
Hemant Kumar, AEE of Municipal Administration Department, said that most of the houses were damaged due to stormy rains in Sampaje Hobli area and such families are being relocated and in addition, tarpaulin is being also distributed where ever necessary, he said.
EE Siddegowda of Public Works Department, Panchayat Raj Engineer, Tashsildars Praveen Kumar, Naveen Kumar, Ramachandra and TPEOs Shekhar, Appanna and others gave information regarding natural disaster management.
Zilla Panchayat CEO Ananda Prakash Meena, Assistant commissioner Vinayak Narvade, A D C B. Basappa, ITDP Department Officer Honnegowda, School Education and Literacy Department Deputy Director Rangadhamappa, Pre-Graduate Education Department Deputy Director Manjula and Madikeri CMC Commissioner Vijay and others were present.
