Nagaland Chief Secretary chairs monsoon readiness meeting

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• Dr. J Alam with officials during the monsoon preparedness meeting held with deputy commissioners and line departments in Kohima on Wednesday.

• DIMAPUR — A monsoon preparedness meeting, chaired by the Chief Secretary and Chairman of the SEC, Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), Dr. J Alam, was held at the chief secretary’s conference hall, Nagaland Civil Secretariat, Kohima, on Wednesday.
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• The meeting with deputy commissioners (DCs) and district heads of departments was held to assess the availability of essential commodities, roads and alternative routes, healthcare services, and mass social work to combat unforeseen disasters that may occur during the upcoming monsoon in the district, according to a DIPR report.
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• During the meeting, Dr. Alam mentioned that in the anticipated monsoon season, some districts will witness deficient rainfall while others will experience excess rainfall, which may be challenging. He urged all deputy commissioners and line departments to remain vigilant and be prepared to deal with any emergencies throughout.
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• He also raised concern over the proper maintenance of the road between Kohima and Dimapur, focusing on the old Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) dumping site, which causes major challenges every year due to landslides and road blockages by overloaded trucks. He therefore urged the administration, police, and line departments to monitor traffic regulations and identify alternative routes to ensure smooth traffic flow at all times.

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• He further instructed the Public Works Department to arrange and position machinery strategically in disaster- or landslide-prone areas to ensure proactive measures and also stressed the need to keep a sufficient stock of essential commodities available, specifically identifying vulnerable areas for the monsoon season.
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• The CS instructed the Health and Family Welfare department to specifically focus on vulnerable areas and take appropriate precautionary measures for any monsoon-related eventualities and outbreaks.
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• He called on the DCs to judiciously utilise all resources at their disposal during emergencies and to ensure that all roads remain open at all times, including during landslides and blockades, taking the minimum possible time to restore and repair damaged roads. He also directed the DCs to convene regular preparatory meetings, adding that specific directions and guidelines should be given to departments and organisations.
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• Dr. Alam further requested all departments to instruct their respective heads of offices in all districts to provide necessary support and coordination to the district magistrates and DCs for any monsoon-related issues.
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• In his closing remarks, the CS stated that the points raised by the DCs have been noted and will be addressed, particularly the availability of essential commodities, medicines, and, wherever possible, emergency machinery and equipment, which should be provided by the department concerned.
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• DCs, chairmen of District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), and district heads of departments joined the meeting via video conference and updated their status on monsoon preparedness and the challenges faced by their respective districts.
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• DDMA Dimapur convenes emergency meeting
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• Meanwhile, in view of the possibility of heavy rains, floods, and strong winds in the district, the Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, Dr Tinojongshi Chang, convened an emergency meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on May 23 at 1:00 pm in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
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• The agenda includes discussions on pre-monsoon preparedness and the first quarterly review. All concerned members have been requested to attend the meeting without fail and treat the matter as a priority.