Upgrade flood warning system: Amit Shah to officials

New Delhi, June 23

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday directed the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Central Water Commission (CWC) to complete the process of recalibrating all equipment used in flood forecast and said efforts should be made to upgrade forecast system of water levels of rivers for enhanced flood management.

Suggests use of ISRO data

• The Union Home Minister said at least 50 large ponds should be created in the northeast to divert water of the Brahmaputra to help tackle floods and promote agriculture, irrigation and tourism
• Shah also emphasised on optimum use of satellite imagery provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for flood and water management

Shah, in a high-level meeting with officials from Jal Shakti, Earth Science Department, Environment, Railways, road transport highways, also reviewed the preparations to deal with Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) which was the major reason behind floods in Himachal Pradesh last year.

Over 30 people have died in Assam due to floods.

Officials have also been instructed to conduct a detailed study of the recent floods in Sikkim and Manipur and submit a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Shah also directed them to ensure that floodgates of all major dams are in good condition. In the meeting, he said the flood monitoring centres of the CWC should be in accordance with our requirements and of international standards.

He also reviewed long-term measures to formulate a comprehensive and far-reaching policy to mitigate the menace of floods in the country.

Shah emphasised on optimum use of satellite imagery provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for flood and water management. “Non-perennial rivers are prone to more soil erosion and siltation, resulting in floods. Efforts should be made to upgrade the forecast system of water level of rivers for better flood management,” Shah said.

He said natural drainage systems should be an integral part of the designs of road construction to deal with inundation of roads.

In order to avert flooding in the northeast regions, Shah said at least 50 large ponds should be constructed so that the water of the Brahmaputra could be diverted and stored in those ponds. He said this will help in developing agriculture, irrigation and tourism in those areas at a low cost and also help in tackling the floods, and it will eventually benefit the local economy.

Instructions have also been given to the officials of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to take appropriate precautionary measures to prevent incidents of forest fire.

Uttarakhand and Andhra Pradesh have recorded more than 1,000 incidents of forest fires since March. He directed the officials to create fire lines, remove dry leaves and conduct mock drills from time to time with local residents and forest personnel. The NDMA has been instructed to prepare a detailed manual to deal with incidents of forest fires.

Shah also emphasised on the need to integrate weather, rainfall and flood warning related apps developed by various departments so that their benefits could reach the targeted population. He directed that the IMD’s alerts regarding lightning strikes should be disseminated to the public on time through SMS, TV, FM radio and other mediums.

Cloudburst in Itanagar triggers landslides

itanagar: A cloudburst on Sunday morning triggered several landslides and a flood-like situation in Itanagar, officials said.

Though Arunachal Pradesh has been witnessing heavy rains over the last few weeks, the situation improved in the past two days. Also, there was no forecast for rain on Sunday, they said.

Following the cloudburst, which happened around 10.30 am, landslides were reported from various parts of Itanagar and its adjoining areas, while a flood-like situation was witnessed in several stretches of the NH-415, an official of the Disaster Management Department said.

Many vehicles were stranded on the highway, the lifeline for people of the state capital, he said.

The district administration asked people not to venture into rivers and landslide-prone areas. People were advised to move to safer places in view of the heavy rains, officials said.

The district administration has set up seven designated places as relief camps, they said. — PTI