Bhubaneswar: As the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the city for over next 36 to 48 hours or even more, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) along with other line departments chalked out a strategy to fight water logging and urban flooding situation across the State Capital.
BMC Commissioner Dr. Krishan Kumar convened the multi-department emergency meeting at the BMC Conference Room in the evening and briefed the senior officials to be vigilant the next 36 hours and work in tandem with the strategy and the experiences gathered from the last water-logging situations.
The Municipal Commissioner also added that off day and leave of all staff of BMC and BDA remained cancelled so that better coordination would be done to face the situation in the city.
The BMC and Odisha Fire Services have pre-positioned nearly 30 water pumps at vulnerable locations across the city, where the rest 22 are for the developing situation as rains have started across the city after evening hours. Both the agencies have 52 pumps (BMC 19 and Fire Services 33) pumps with them to face the situation.
Meanwhile, the city has been divided into 13 sub-zones or sectors with senior officers taking their sectoral positions and in-charge of decision making activities during heavy rains. Every sub-zone will be having 4 to 5 supporting staff including the Ward Officer, who will be the contact person for that particular ward. The Ward Officer will be the first responder to all the needs from the citizens concerned and community organisers (COs) would assist the team for the next 36 to 48 hours.
The 13 senior officials of sub-zones will coordinate with departments like PWD, PHEO, Fire Services, District Administration, OWSSB, CESU and Water Resources Department.
The Commissioner also asked the PWD Team to have a response team as many secondary drains along the main roads across the city belong to the department. The PWD team will be in constant touch with the Multi-Agency Control Room at BMC. Each line department will also depute an official to the control room for better coordination.
The PWD and BMC teams were also asked by the Commissioner to have 15 JCBc as reserve for any emergency call to attend. Chain mounted proclain machines are also to be hired and kept reserved for any difficult situation to encounter. Apart from the big machines other smaller cleaning tools will also be with the respective teams to clean the secondary and tertiary drains, in case of water-logging like situation.
The Engineers and team members of Water Resources Department were asked to work in a team with the Drainage Division of BMC so that there would be coordinated effort to manage the situation. The engineers from CESU will also be in the coordination team to manage any situation in the next 48 hours.
The sanitation workers of three major sanitation agencies i.e. Jagruti, PMR and Ramkey with 1,400, 600 and 700 will be on guard and at least 10 sanitation workers from these agencies would be with the local team to coordinate the situation.
Bhubaneswar One Helpline numbers 18003450061 (toll-free) 0674-2548295 (landline) are active on 24×7 basis for citizens to register complaints on water-logging. Storm Water Control Room 0674-2432281.
A Multi-Agency Control Room to operate at BMC. Each line department will also depute an official to the control room for better coordination.
Staff of BMC are placed on roaster duty to manage the rush, activity and other work to manage the water-logging situation across the city.
In view of IMD’s forecast BMC & Fire Services Department have made ready 52 pumps. Already 30 are pre-positioned to tackle the waterlogging situations.
Off day and leave of all staff of BMC and BDA remained cancelled so that better coordination.
City has been divided into 13 sub-zones or sectors with senior officers taking their sectoral positions and in-charge of decision making activities during heavy rains.
The PWD and BMC teams were also asked by the Commissioner to have 15 JCBc as reserve for any emergency call to attend. Chain mounted proclaim machines are also to be hired and kept reserved.