BMC looks to tackle floods through books ….SUDHIR SURYAWANSHI
In its bid to cope up with floods during the monsoon, the the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to prepare a disaster management booklet that will list chronic flooding spots as per wards and provide details on the disaster management machinery that is in place.
The BMC decided to frame specific guidelines with the help of the central government after a meeting of the disaster management committee on May 9. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is the chairman of the committee.
S S Shinde, deputy municipal commissioner (disaster management), said, “The booklet will provide us with solutions to all the problems we face during floods. Weather reports will compiled with the help of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The BMC also proposes to get its own Doppler radar system that will provide upto-date information.” That apart, there will also be information about cyclones and other natural disasters.
“We will try to bring in uniformity in the disaster management system. The booklet will also contain information on the stormwater drainage system as recommended by the BRIMSTOWAD report. Engineers from IIT (Mumbai) will aid the BMC in collection and preparation of the disaster management booklet,” Shinde added.
The booklet will also have a ward-wise list of NGOs and emergency numbers. It will be available from the first week of June.
SWIMMING LESSONS FOR FIREMEN
SWIMMING LESSONS FOR FIREMEN
Anil Sawant, chief fire officer, said that the Mumbai Fire brigade is imparting swimming lessons to at least 100 firemen at the Navy Nagar swimming pool in Colaba. He said, “Each of the ‘search and rescue’ teams will have two swimmers. The teams will be stationed at various flood-prone across the city. This year, we have got experts from UK and Canada to train our firemen. We will be conducting mock-drills across the city.”
Moreover, all fire offices and ward offices will be connect with wireless services, that can be used in case there is a communication failure.