Odisha districts to stock adequate food items before monsoon

Ahead of the onset of the monsoon, the Odisha government has asked all the 30 district officials to be prepared for the possible flood and stock adequate food grains in remote areas which are prone to flood, official sources said today.

The instructions were given by Special Relief Commissioner & Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Disaster Management) B P Sethi in a review meeting on the preparedness for the possible floods during the monsoon yesterday.

The Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) and District Emergency Officers (DEOs) were present in the meeting, the sources said.

The district authorities have been instructed to furnish their updated District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) by June 10 for approval by the State Disaster Management Authority. After approval, the updated plans will be uploaded in the respective districts website, Sethi said.

In the meeting, the ADMs/DEOs have intimated that the flood prone inaccessible areas which are likely to be cut off in the event of flood have been identified for stocking of PDS commodities for the next 2-3 months in advance so that these are available in these villages during the entire rainy season.

"The collectors would ensure this (stocking of food grains) before the onset of monsoon and furnish information regarding the quantity of food grains stored at different points," Sethi said.

The districts will also take steps to make pre-contract with the traders following due procedure for supply of dry foods like chuda, gur and other essential commodities, if required. This exercise is to be completed soon and the arrangement should be reported to the office of the SRC, he said.

The state already has 301 power boats with the State Port Engineering Organisation under the SRC and those are available in the districts in charge of Tahasildars, BDOs and other officers under the control of the respective collectors.

Test run of these boats is going on in different districts, he said adding that the State Port Engineer has been directed to complete the test-run of the boats by 2nd week of June, the sources said.

The ADMs/ DEOs were also directed to complete the process of engagement of temporary staff as per sanction communicated to them by May 31. All the districts will furnish information about available of private boats in the district along with contact numbers of boat owners to the office of SRC by June 10. Besides, the information will be uploaded in the official website of the concerned district, he said.

As many as 108 vulnerable points have been identified in different rivers and saline embankments out of which three have been identified as critical vulnerable points, Sethi said.

"It has been decided to store required flood fighting materials at these critical vulnerable points and arrange patrolling during flood," he said adding that it was assessed that 33.35 lakh gunny bags, 19430 bullahs (wood sticks), 15125 sqm bamboo mat and 10320 nos of bamboos among others would be required to be stored by June one at strategic locations.

Executive engineers have been instructed to verify the status of sluices and make those operational by June one.