Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday chaired a high-level committee meeting on flood preparedness ahead of the monsoon. The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the Indian Meteorological Department, the Central Water Commission, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Also present were senior officials from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
According to a summary of the meeting put out by the government, Mr. Shah said that detection equipment for flooding should be recalibrated at the soonest, and that satellite imagery from ISRO should be extensively relied upon as a part of detection measures. He also instructed departments concerned to “conduct a detailed study of the recent floods in Sikkim and Manipur and submit a report”, according to the government statement.
Mr. Shah said that “at least 50 large ponds in the Northeast should be constructed so that the water of the Brahmaputra River could be diverted and stored in those ponds”.
He also ordered the NDMA and the MoEFCC to ramp up efforts against forest fires by clearing dry leaves, holding frequent drills, and studying sites where forest fires have occurred repeatedly.
He also said that information on lightning strikes should immediately be disseminated through “SMS, TV, FM radio and other mediums”.
Published - June 23, 2024 02:18 pm IST
