Question

What are the measures taken by counties to takle tropical storms

Answer 1

Control rooms in different departments and the district offices shall be immediately activated to function round the clock. The Departments shall ensure that their field officers are in position. Officers on leave shall be called back to duty forthwith.

• ODRAF and NDRF forces as well as teams of Fire services shall be deployed in advance to the areas likely to be affected by the cyclone and associated floods to carry out search & rescue operations and assist in evacuation operations.

• The Government will strive for ZERO CASUALTY. Collectors of the district likely to be affected must immediately prepare and keep the evacuation plan in respect of their districts ready, giving highest priority to most vulnerable villages/ habitations.

• Special care must be taken to shift the old, infirm, physically challenged, women and children to safer places and cyclone shelters much before the occurrence of the disaster.

• All cyclone and flood shelters shall be immediately checked and made ready to house the evacuees. The water supply, lighting and sanitation arrangements in the shelters shall be checked and curative measures taken, if any required.

• Immediate steps shall be taken to conduct mock drill in every cyclone and flood shelter. All equipment in the shelters shall be put to test run and the defective ones shall be repaired immediately.

• Other buildings as per requirement should also be identified by the district administration for use as shelter where water supply, lighting and sanitation arrangements are to be made.

• Proper arrangements must be in place to take care of the basic requirements of the evacuees especially food, medicine, light and water, etc. at the shelter places.

• As flood is always associated with cyclone, necessary boat arrangements must be made in advance to take up rescue and relief operations for likely flood.

• The water level of dams and MIPs must be carefully monitored and the storage level reduced if required. Further, rainfall in the upstreams of the rivers may be monitored regularly.