Karwar: Coastal district Uttara Kannada is all prepared for monsoon, which is expected to commence in the next three days.
The District Disaster Monitoring Centre has taken necessary action and is coordinating with other departments of all the 12 taluks of the district in this regard.
After the disaster in Kodagu last monsoon, Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has chalked out plans with the help of experts to handle any kind of floods in any part of the state. It has also sent directions to all the districts to act according to its newly-chalked out plans.
Though no heavy rainfall is expected in the state this year, U-K district administration has already conducted a couple of meetings with various departments, assistant commissioners, tahsildars and other officials to ensure coordination between them and explain to them about their role in case of any emergency.
Two years ago, the district witnessed landslides on few hillocks, which were cut down for road widening works in coastal taluks. In the manmade disaster, three children of a family had lost their lives in Kumta taluk. Many people had lost their properties in other landslides.
In 2018, following heavy rainfall in Shivamogga district, many villages on the banks of Sharavathi river in Honnavar taluk were flooded after huge quantity of water was released from Linganamakki and Gerusoppa dams. Many villages and agriculture and horticulture fields were submerged in river water, forcing the district administration to open rejuvenation centres.
An officer said: “All the departments in the district have the expertise to handle flood or any other natural disaster. The district has been witnessing one or the other disaster every year and we have managed all them successfully. The fire, police and health departments are ready to handle any situation with required equipment, from axe to medicines.
Deputy Commissioner Harish Kumar K in a recent meeting with officials has directed IRB Infrastructure Limited, which has taken up the road widening work from Bhatkal to Majali in the district, to make drains and canals along the road and hillocks, which have cut down for widening of the road. Rainwater should not be logged on any corner of the road, he had said.
He had also directed not to take up blasting or cutting down of hillocks till monsoon ends.
Meanwhile, all urban local bodies and gram panchayats have been directed to clear drains and canals in their respective towns and villages to ensure free flow of rainwater. All urban local bodies have cleaned drains and canals in the district.