Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in coordination with all line departments will start a 24X7 multi-agency control room for surveillance from Wednesday with India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing a red alert in the state forecasting “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at several places and “extremely heavy rainfall” at isolated areas Wednesday and Thursday as cyclonic storm Titli moved towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast Tuesday.
The civic body will deploy 13 sector officers across the city and pre-position pumps in coordination with Odisha Fire Services Department at low-lying pockets between October 10 and 12.
Citizens from low-lying and vulnerable pockets across the city can register their complaints through Bhubaneswar Operations Centre number 18003450061. They can also lodge their complaints with the Storm Water Control Room (BMC) on 0674-2432281.
The civic authorities have already written to senior administrative officer, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Additional District Magistrate, Bhubaneswar, Superintending Engineer, Public Works Department, Superintending Engineer, Public Health Engineering Organisation, and Executive Engineer (Prachi Irrigation Division) of the Water Resources Department and Chief Fire Officer, Odisha, to depute a nodal officer each for each shift to the control room at BMC.
BATTLE READY
# Multi-agency control room for surveillance; to work in three shifts
# BMC area divided into 13 sectors
# To deploy 13 sector officers across the city
# Pre-position pumps in coordination with Odisha Fire Services Department at low-lying pockets
# Helpline numbers: 18003450061 and 0674-2432281.
The control room will work in three shifts — from 6 am to 2 pm, from 2 pm to 10 pm and from 10 pm to 6 am. The inclusion of nodal officers from other city-based line departments is planned so that when a situation arises from a grievance relating to a particular department, the nodal officer at the control room from that department could coordinate with officials on the ground and solve the problem smoothly.
The Ward Officers designated from Community Organisers and other office staff of BMC were also asked to be in the respective wards as notified by the civic body so that grievance redressal would be easy and responsive during the rain resulting out of Titli.
SECTORAL OFFICERS
The entire BMC area has been divided into 13 sectors under a sectoral officer each (senior officers from BMC, BDA and Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited). The sector officials were also entrusted with specific charges like drainage channels and other major issues which mainly crop up during incessant rain. The North and South West zones of BMC have four sectoral officers while the South East Zone has five. Team BMC’s 40 engineers will also be on high alert to manage any kind of situation due to high rainfall.
NO HOLIDAY/OFF DAY
The civic body has asked all officials concerned to be on high alert from October 9 to October 12 and also asked them not to leave the city and not to take any off for the emergency situation.