Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 1 Jul: District Magistrate (DM) Dr Ashish Chauhan inspected the disaster control room here today in view of recent rainfall and possible calamities, reviewing its arrangements, communication systems and preparedness. He directed that the control room remain active round the clock and ensure immediate response to any information received. Following the inspection, he also held a review meeting with the officials of all related departments and the SDMs through video conferencing from the NIC auditorium. The meeting examined the condition of roads, drinking water supply, electricity, waterlogging, disaster management and other essential services, with necessary instructions issued to the officers.
The DM also directed the construction agencies to repair dug-up roads without delay and make them safe and accessible, warning that no unsafe condition should remain. He warned that, if any accident occurs due to departmental negligence, responsibility will be fixed and strict action would be taken against the officer or agency concerned. He directed the SDMs to verify that stone crushers in their areas are not operating and that no mining activity is taking place in rivers. He emphasised that the mining will remain completely prohibited from 1 July to 30 September and any vehicle found transporting minerals during this period will face legal action, including seizure.
Besides this, the DM also ordered strengthening of safety arrangements at tourist sites along riverbanks, with installation of warning sirens and CCTV cameras to alert the visitors and the locals in case of rising water levels or disaster situations. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) was asked to ensure that pregnant women in remote areas, whose delivery is expected within a week to ten days, are shifted in advance to safe locations or near hospitals to avoid difficulties in case of emergencies. Chauhan directed the municipal bodies of Dehradun, Rishikesh and other towns to conduct regular fogging to prevent dengue and malaria, repair faulty street lights immediately and install new lights in areas lacking them as a priority for public safety.
The DM further directed that the people residing near rivers and drains be identified and listed, with advance arrangements made to shift them to safe places in case of heavy rainfall or floods. It was shared during the meeting that Dehradun Municipal Corporation (Doon Nagar Nigam) has identified 29 such vulnerable areas comprising 3,700 families and 900 houses, which are being monitored by the administration. Taking complaints of road construction during rains seriously, he instructed the Public Works Department (PWD), PMGSY and the National Highways officials that if any complaint is received regarding substandard construction or repair during rainfall, strict action will be taken against the responsible officers and executing agencies.
Among those present at the meeting were ADM (Finance and Revenue) KK Mishra, ADM (Administration) Smrita Parmar, SDM Apoorva Singh, District Informatics Officer Ankush Pandey and e-District Manager Harendra Sharma, while other SDMs and the officials of various departments joined virtually.
