GUWAHATI, March 7 - The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) is planning to start flood mock drills in ten vulnerable Revenue Circles of the State�s ten districts from this year. In the mock drills, villagers would be involved and this is for the first time such a step has been sought to be introduced in the State, said Nandita Hazarika, State Project Officer, ASDMA.
Hazarika, who was talking to this newspaper, further informed that three villages are also sought to be developed as flood resilient ones this year.
The flood mock drills are planned to be started after the State Assembly elections are over.
The ten districts where the flood mock drills are planned to be undertaken include Kamrup (Goroimari Revenue Circle), Morigaon (Bhuragaon Revenue Circle), Lakhimpur (Naoboicha Revenue Circle), Dhemaji (Sisibargaon Revenue Circle), Jorhat (Majuli Revenue Circle), Tinsukia (Sadiya Revenue Circle), Nalbari (Barkhetri Revenue Circle), Barpeta (Baghbor Revenue Circle), Goalpara (Lakhipur Revenue Circle) and Dhubri (South Salmara Revenue Circle), Hazarika said.
The three villages which are sought to be developed as flood resilient ones this year include one village from each of Morigaon, Kamrup and Nagaon districts. Though the above districts have been identified, the names of the villages are yet to be finalised for the purpose so far.
In the process of developing the three villages as flood resilient ones, all the departments concerned are being involved. This is also a new approach in the overall effort at conquering the menace of flood, she said.
Meanwhile, the ASDMA has provided 100 inflatable, engine-run rubber boats to the plains districts of the State for rescuing the flood-hit people, she said.
The ASDMA has developed a new system of holding weekly flood review meetings during the flood season. These meetings are held every Monday, Hazarika said.
In Guwahati, the ASDMA identified 64 narrow roads around 2010. Cost estimates were also prepared for widening 35 of these roads. But due to non-availability of funds, widening of these roads could not be undertaken so far, Hazarika said.
In the meantime, the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the State Fire and Emergency Service have identified around 130 points in Guwahati, where water hydrants are needed to meet fire hazards. Efforts are now on to install the water hydrants using money from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), Hazarika said.
