Govt prepares action plan for monsoon | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Ahead of monsoon, the housing and urban development department has prepared an extensive urban flood and waterlogging management action plan for all urban local bodies in the state.The plan outlines multiple preventive and responsive measures to protect public health, infrastructure and urban livelihoods. The plan encompasses various crucial aspects, from drainage management to disease prevention and emergency response protocols. “Proactive planning and community participation are the cornerstones of our strategy. Our goal is to ensure that urban areas remain resilient, safe, and prepared for the challenges of an intense monsoon,” housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said.Key features include complete inspection and desilting of all drainage systems, with special attention to repairing damaged covers and removing encroachments. The plan mandates installing bar screens and wire meshes in tertiary drains to prevent blockages.For emergency response, the plan establishes a 72-hour timeline for road restoration following storm damage. Watco and the Public Health Engineering Organisation will coordinate with ULBs to ensure immediate restoration of drinking water services in affected areas.The department also ordered the identification of waterlogging hotspots and pre-deployment of necessary equipment. Zone-level officers will be appointed to oversee emergency responses in their respective areas.As per the action plan, authorities were asked to prepare multi-purpose cyclone shelters using public buildings as emergency shelters, with particular attention to water, sanitation and security provisions for vulnerable populations.The plan emphasises disease prevention through coordinated efforts by the health and family welfare department and its ground-level organisation and the sanitation agencies, including larvicide spraying and regular fogging.The ULBs were also asked to operate a 24×7 monsoon-specific control room to address public grievances related to waterlogging and infrastructure disruptions. The initiative strongly emphasises community involvement in the activities, engaging elected representatives and ward committees.Officials said that a high-level inter-departmental coordination meeting is scheduled before June, bringing together various stakeholders, including fire services, drainage division and minor irrigation departments, to ensure seamless implementation of the plan.Through a public notice, the state govt urged citizens to actively cooperate with local authorities and promptly report any emergencies to their respective control rooms.
