GUWAHATI, March 21 - The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has taken up a number of initiatives to contain the transmission of coronavirus in the State.
Following the coordination meeting under the chairmanship of the State Chief Secretary, Assam, on March 12, it has been organising video conferences with all the deputy commissioners and superintendent of police and other stakeholders besides issuing advisories on coronavirus to all the deputy commissioners.
�Emergent District Disaster Management Authorities meeting in all districts was convened on March 13 to take all necessary precautionary measures at district level. We have also directed all the district administrations to identify quarantine and isolation facilities in the district level as per NDMA format, and accordingly, quarantine and isolation facilities in the district level have been identified,� ASDMA sources said.
Other measures taken included notification of nodal officers at district and circle levels fixing specific roles and responsibilities for them, notification of toll-free numbers of Emergency Operation Centre: District (1077) and State Emergency (1070, 1079) as 24x7 COVID-19 information centre, facilitating District Emergency Operation Centre�s (DEOC) service to liaise with the Health and Family Welfare department, etc. for better coordination, awareness campaigns on social media, AIR, etc. on precautionary measures to be taken with regard to COVID-19, etc.
�Aapda Mitra volunteers, NSS, NCC, NGOs and CBOs pressed into service to sensitise people regarding precautionary measures to prevent transmission of the virus at grassroots level. All directions received from NDMA/GoI are being shared immediately with the district authorities,� sources said.
All deputy commissioners have been directed to exercise powers and functions under Disaster Management Act-2005 for effective preparedness and response to contain spread of the coronavirus.
A meeting was also held under the aegis of ASDMA with Inter Agency Group (IAG � Apex Organisation of NGOs working in the State) where representatives of UNICEF, Action Aid, Aided Action, Piramal Health participated. It was decided in the meeting to collaborate and take steps to expediting awareness, Dos and Don�ts to be followed to contain transmission of the virus at community level. It was further decided that the ASDMA and the IAG team would meet every alternate day to review the actions carried out and what need to be done urgently.
