Find suitable places for NDRF units: Himachal Chief Secretary tells DCs

Shimla, June 14

Units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will be set up in five districts of the state. Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena yesterday directed all Deputy Commissioners to find suitable places in Shimla, Mandi, Sirmaur, Chamba and Kullu to set up small units of the NDRF.

‘Coordinate with dam authorities’

• The Disaster Response Force units will be established at Shimla, Mandi, Sirmaur, Chamba and Kullu
• Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena directed the officials to coordinate with the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the dam authorities in the state to monitor the rise in the water level during the monsoon

Saxena, while chairing a meeting to review preparedness for the monsoon season, directed the officials concerned to shift migrant labourers residing along the riverbanks. He also directed the Civil Supplies Corporation to ensure stocking of adequate food grains to meet the demands of people during a disaster.

Saxena directed the officials to coordinate with the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the dam authorities in the state to monitor the rise in the water level during the monsoon and strengthen the early monitoring system. He told the officials to convene a meeting with the officers of the CWC and the representatives of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), Himachal Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) and the HPSEBL at the earliest. “The dam authorities must test-check the functioning of their machinery and be prepared to mitigate a flood-type situation,” he added.

He directed the Deputy Commissioners of Mandi, Kullu and Kangra districts, which had suffered extensive damage due to the rain disaster last year, to visit sinking sites and spots most vulnerable to floods and landslips. “If there’s a threat to residents of such areas, they may be advised to shift to safer places,” he said.