PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Since monsoon is expected to arrive early and with greater intensity, the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) has made all important preparations to tackle waterlogging, choked drains and flooded roads during the heavy rain. The Dehradun municipal commissioner Namami Bansal said that there are about 150 vulnerable spots across the city that frequently face waterlogging and the civic body is ready to address them. The corporation has kept six pumps ready after recent trial runs. She said that some areas do not have proper drains and preparations are underway there as well. She informed that MCD removed over 18,000 metric tonnes of garbage from city drains and rivers since January with most of it cleared in the last two months. “We received complaints about encroachments over drains and the team is working to clear them as well,” she said. Bansal stated that complaints and feedback from previous years were also taken into account while making preparations. The corporation has also set up the disaster management control room within premises which will function 24/7 with a team ready to respond to complaints and coordinate a faster response. Bansal stated that the control room is equipped to handle complaints, track operations and enable communication between civic teams. The control room numbers are 9286459167, 9286477117 and 1800-180-4571 for the public to report problems directly. These lines will remain active throughout the monsoon. The commissioner said that to aid its response on the ground, the MCD has deployed 30 disaster response personnel, 12 dewatering pumps, two JCB machines, and six tractor trolleys to clear roads and drain water from flood-prone areas. Low lying areas in Dehradun often suffer from severe waterlogging during heavy rain. The commissioner said that the corporation’s preparations aim to ease the hardships for locals and enable a faster, more effective response. She also appealed to the people to remain vigilant, report problems promptly and collaborate with officials to keep their city safe during the monsoon.
