KMC, police, PWD, NDRF brace for Asani
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has put its employees and disaster management teams on alert to tackle any possible fallout of Cyclone Asani.
Sixteen teams, one for each borough of the KMC, have been formed, with the members armed with machinery to clear branches of fallen trees. A group of officials has started visiting each borough from Tuesday to check for electrical wires jutting out of lamp posts and feeder boxes.
Following a meeting with senior officials on Monday, KMC commissioner Binod Kumar said at least 95 per cent of all pumps should be kept ready at all 76 pumping stations across the city. Around 700 portable pumps are also being kept ready to drain out water from low-lying areas, said a senior official.
Officials have been asked to keep diesel generator sets ready at all pumping stations (for supplying water) and booster pumping stations (for draning out water) to ensure work is not hampered because of power cuts.
Officials responsible for distribution of drinking water will be present in the pumping stations for the next two days.
Only about 80 per cent of the water tank in Tallah—located around 110 feet above the ground—will be filled. A fuller and heavier tank could suffer more damage from a storm, said an engineer. he total capacity of the tank is close to 90 lakh gallons.
A 13-member team of mayoral council members from the KMC will be coordinating with different agencies, including police, PWD and NDRF, over the next two days in all the 16 boroughs.
The leave of employees in several KMC departments, including drainage, light, solid waste management, parks and disaster management, have been cancelled till May 12, sources said.
