Jharsuguda,June 1:: A preparatory meeting of the District-Level Natural Disaster Management Committee was held at the auditorium hall of the District Collector’s office premises under the chairmanship of District Collector Kushal Motiram Chandra.
The meeting, organized under the supervision of District Emergency Officer Mrutyunjay Sabar, was attended by Naval Agrawal, representative of the Hon’ble Revenue and Disaster Management Minister; Ramhari Pujari, representative of the Hon’ble Member of Parliament; Additional Superintendent of Police James Samad; Additional District Magistrate (Revenue) Lalit Soreng; Chief Development Officer of the Zilla Parishad Bishw Ganjan Nayak; Sub-Collector Sabyasachi Panda; and other departmental officials.
During the meeting, all departments were advised to remain alert and fully prepared to tackle situations arising from heavy rainfall, floods, and possible cyclones. In particular, the Agriculture Department was instructed to stock adequate quantities of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides before the onset of the monsoon season. The Power Department was also directed to keep all necessary equipment ready for immediate repair and restoration work.
Considering the possibility of communication disruptions during natural disasters, the District Collector instructed the Food Supplies Department to ensure the storage of essential food items and kerosene in remote areas well before the monsoon begins. To strengthen healthcare services, the Chief District Medical Officer was advised to ensure adequate stock of life-saving medicines, ORS packets, and anti-snake venom injections in the District Headquarters Hospital, sub-divisional hospitals, and all primary health centres.
The District Collector also held detailed discussions with all district-level officers, Block Development Officers, and Executive Officers of municipalities regarding pre-flood preparedness for the upcoming monsoon season. Emphasizing that protection of life and property during disasters should be the top priority, he directed all departments to remain fully alert and prepared.
Special emphasis was laid on activating the District Emergency Control Room with trained personnel, providing daily situation reports, and widely disseminating weather updates and warnings at the grassroots level. Officials were also instructed to identify flood shelters in remote and vulnerable areas and ensure the availability of safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, and sufficient dry food supplies there.
The District Collector further directed officials to prepare clear evacuation plans and alternative transportation routes for shifting people from waterlogged and low-lying areas to safer places. Strategies were also discussed for the deployment of ODRAF and NDRF teams during flood rescue operations and for maintaining coordination with voluntary organizations and Panchayati Raj representatives.
Block Development Officers and municipal authorities were instructed to completely restrict movement on roads and bridges submerged by floodwaters and to install barricades and warning signboards in such locations. The District Collector also directed that dedicated teams be kept ready for post-disaster electricity restoration and accurate assessment of damages.
The review meeting emphasized that every department should treat potential cyclone or flood situations as highly urgent and important and discharge their responsibilities efficiently. Officials from the Agriculture, Power, Animal Resources, Fisheries, Health, Public Health Engineering, Municipal Council, Forest, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Fire Services Departments, and ODRAF teams participated in the meeting and discussed measures for smooth disaster management operations.
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