Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 15: Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Relief & Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari alongwith Minister for R&B, Floriculture, Gardens & Parks, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, today convened a high-level meeting of officers of various departments to review the preparation of the administration to deal with any future flood situation.
The Ministers took detailed review of the functioning of State Disaster Management Authority and discussed with the concerned the strategy to deal with the flood like situations in Kashmir. They directed the concerned authorities to establish Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) in Srinagar and Jammu besides other District Headquarters equipped with modern facilities to effectively deal with flood-like situations.
They stressed the need for a coordinated strategy to deal with flood like situations and directed the concerned agencies to always be in state of preparedness. The people should also be advised appropriately of the preventive measures to be taken to deal with the flood like situation. The people should not become panicky after the weather warnings from the Metrology Department rather cooperate with the administration in dealing with any untoward situation.
The Ministers sought present status from the concerned departments about the availability of necessary equipment and other resources to deal with the floods and other emergencies. The officers were directed to project the requirements with regard to funds, if any, within next few days to the Government enabling it to arrange the same.
Commissioner Secretary, Relief and Rehabilitation, Dheeraj Gupta briefed the meeting about the measures taken by the department to deal with the flood situations, besides financial and physical status of State Disaster Management Authority. He said that there is no shortage of funds in this regard and State authority is well prepared to deal with any such situation.
Director Metrology, Sonam Lotus also briefed the meeting about the weather forecast for the next few days in the state especially in Kashmir.
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control, Deputy Commissioners of Baramulla, Bandipora, Shopian, Srinagar, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Inspector General of Police Kashmir and other senior officers of concerned departments were also present in the meeting.