Cidco sets up 24x7 cell to tackle monsoon emergencies

The control room started operating on Wednesday and will continue till September

CBD BELAPUR: With monsoon just days away, the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (Cidco) is ready with its plans to tackle emergency situation.

On Wednesday, it announced the setting up of a 24x7 emergency control room to tackle rain-related incident to prevent loss of life and property. The cell was made operational on Wednesday and will continue till September 30.

The emergency control room located on the ground floor of Cidco Bhavan in CBD Belapur was inaugurated by chief vigilance officer Vinay Kargaonkar. Executive engineer AT Anuse has been appointed as chief emergency controller.

Kargaonkar said, “There is a system in place for daily monitoring of activities of the control room and the response time.”

Deputy emergency controller, officials of engineering department, health department, security department, garden department, fire department and other departments have been deployed at the centre that has been set up on the ground floor of Cidco Bhavan in CBD Belapur.

The cell will function even on weekends and public holidays. An ambulance service has also been provided for relief during emergencies.

“We are equipped to deal incidents such as fire, snake bites, building collapses, landslides and diseases. We will monitor open gutters, holding ponds and rain water drains. All gutters in our jurisdiction will be cleaned,” said Kargaonkar.

Cidco also launched helpline numbers for residents to register complaints and a WhatsApp number on which they can send photos of rainrelated incidents.

Residents can lodge complaint about short circuit, tree fall, water-logging, road condition, open nullahs, fire, diseases, animal bites, building collapses and landslides in their area.

Anuse said, “We have pruned trees, posing risk to residents in rains. JCB and water pumps will be deployed 24x7 to remove excess water.

The technical department

and the personnel department have been connected to emergency control room to tackle exigencies in monsoon.”

He asked residents to complain to Cidco if contractors fail to remove the construction materials in their areas. “We have asked contractors to remove materials comprising concrete, brick, chalk put up at several places for construction of buildings,” he said.

Officials will rush to the spot after receiving information about any causality. The emergency services such as fire department will be alerted and help will also be sought from NGOs by the control room.

“We have entered into tieups with various hospitals to ensure immediate medical help in times of emergencies,” said Anuse.

Officials have put up a notice board at dilapidated buildings and quarries declaring them dangerous, he said. Officials will conduct survey of waterlogging-prone areas.

The dam department will inform people about release of water during heavy rains and high tide, he said. “The health department will take steps to curb spread of communicable diseases—dengue, malaria and ensure adequate number of beds in hospitals and health centres to treat patients affected by communicable diseases,” Anuse said.

He added that adequate stock of medicines has been kept at health centres in rural areas. “People will be informed about the water level rise in Gadhi river. Arrangements will be made to shift them to a safe location,” said Anuse.

THE CELL WILL FUNCTION EVEN ON WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

BACHCHAN KUMAR An NMMC worker cleans a sewage drain at Vashi on Wednesday.