Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed officials in Kerala to initiate measures to tackle any eventuality during the upcoming monsoon. “Considering the unpredictable nature of the rains, meetings should be convened in all districts at the beginning of every month from June to September to discuss preparations for the monsoon,” he said while addressing a meeting of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority here.
“Ministers in charge of the respective districts or Collectors should convene these meetings,” the Chief Minister added.
Another decision of the meeting was to provide equipment used in rescue missions to local volunteers who have received training under programmes such as Aapda Mitra, Civil Defence and Task Force. Each local body has to identify a building to store such equipment. The local volunteers have to be associated with these centres where the equipment is kept, for which the Fire and Rescue Services should be involved. It would be the responsibility of the local body to carry out the day-to-day functioning of these centres.
Such a centre would enable a quick response during an untoward incident during the rainy season. Money to purchase the equipment will be provided from the Disaster Management Fund. The amount is Rs one lakh for each village panchayat, Rs three lakh for municipalities and Rs five lakh for corporations. Any additional expenses should be met by the local bodies.
The meeting also ordered local bodies in urban areas to clean the drainage system as there were chances for severe waterlogging during very heavy rainfall. Cities such as Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram are prone to this situation, the meeting noted. Efforts should be made to continue operations such as Anantha and Breakthrough which were intended to clear the drainage systems and ensure smooth flow of rainwater.
The Chief Minister also asked officers to complete the work to prune or cut trees posing danger and remove hoardings, posts and other objects which could cause harm during rains, before the monsoon sets in.