Preparedness against Floods
Within the overall master plan for the state, there has to be a contingency
plan for each district, involving steps required to be taken before
the onset of floods during the floods and post- flood management.
The following would be some of the essential components of flood
preparedness:-
By the Department Concerned
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"Pre Monsoon
Inspection" of all railway tracks, canals and drains by
respective departments, which could include silt and details
clearance from seasonal rivulets.
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| • |
Regular clearance of the
drains from silt and weeds to make the drainage system fully
functional and restoration of natural drainage blocked by roads,
railway tracks and canal.
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Regular maintenance of embankments
of rivers canals, distributors etc. and regular check of the
canals and siphons and clearing them from silt.
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Clearing of storm water and
sewerage drains in towns before monsoon.
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Constitution of committees
comprising of heads of all emergency services, medical, police,
transportation and the district administration to ensure proper
co- ordination during the crisis.
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By the State and District Administration
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Review of Contingency
Plan.
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| • |
Update/ Modify it, if deemed
necessary
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Co- ordinate with NGOs/ CBOs.
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Review and visit to likely
places for evacuation to ensure their functional availability.
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Make people aware of the
warning dissemination mechanism.
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"Do's" and "don'ts"
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Response Mechanism
On receipt of warning of the impending disaster, part of the immediate
response has to be to warn people. In the case of floods and cyclones,
enough early warning time is normally available for this purpose.
Existing procedures lay down dissemination procedures on the part
of the Government agency concerned- through print and electronic
media as well as informing the authorities concerned. It is the secondary
reach to all the people in the likely affected areas that is the
responsibility of the District administration especially to those
people who have no access to mass media modes. This could be by beat
of drums, sounding of sirens, village gongs, if any or by word of
mouth. Some local means needs to be evolved and be kept in place
to ensure that people come to know of the impending calamity and
to take suitable follow- up action to save their lives and property
as also to help the neighborhood wherever they can.
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