Citizens to get disaster management training as flood response volunteers: Collector Khan

Khammam District Collector Muzammil Khan plans to train interested citizens in disaster management to serve as volunteers and assist with relief operations during floods.

Khammam: District Collector Muzammil Khan said everyone should be well prepared to deal effectively with heavy rains and floods in the future by strictly implementing standard operating procedures.

The Collector visited Karunagiri, a flood-affected area of Munneru stream in Khammam city. He discussed with the clergy of St. Joseph’s Major Seminary Church about measures to be taken for disaster management in the future.

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He enquired about the flood situation on August 31 and September 1 at Karunamaya Orphanage, Jyoti Nivas School for the Blind and Dumb and measures taken to save life. He also discussed measures to be taken for flood preparedness to avert damage.

Collector Khan said that Munneru was flooded like never before. There was heavy rainfall in a short span of time and the floodwater reached the first floor in many houses. A standard operating procedure (SOP) would be formulated to follow in the event of future floods and sirens would be installed to alert people.

Steps were being taken to set up a permanent toll free number-1077 to use during natural calamities across Khammam district. It was planned to select interested citizens in the district to impart disaster management training to serve as volunteers, to save people and carry out relief works in times of calamity, he revealed.

The Collector said that there should be a clear plan for moving people to higher areas in case of floods and conducting a mock drill on measures to be taken in case of floods. Necessary supplies were being procured and teams were being prepared for future needs.

Similarly, the measures would be taken to strengthen and maintain irrigation canals in Khammam city so that the impact of floods could be reduced to some extent, Khan added.