Gonda: Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Revenue) Aparna U. directed officials to remain fully prepared for the upcoming flood season, warning that negligence at any level in relief and rescue operations would not be tolerated. The directive came during a high-level review meeting of flood preparedness for the state’s 18 most flood-prone districts, held at the Devipatan Division headquarters in Gonda on Friday.
The meeting was chaired by Principal Secretary Aparna U. in the presence of Relief Commissioner Dr. Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod. Officials reviewed flood preparedness across districts falling under the Devipatan, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Basti, Gorakhpur, and Azamgarh divisions, assessing departmental readiness to tackle any flood-related emergency.
The review covered the progress of tenders and work orders related to flood mitigation projects, the establishment of flood relief shelters, and the availability of essential facilities such as drinking water, electricity, sanitation, and cleanliness. Officials also examined the deployment of boats, boatmen, divers, and volunteers, protective measures at vulnerable embankments and erosion-prone sites, operational status of flood control rooms and flood outposts, availability of medical and veterinary teams, ambulance services, essential medicines, livestock fodder, drinking water, power supply, sanitation arrangements, and the effectiveness of the early warning system and public awareness campaigns.
Addressing the meeting, Principal Secretary Aparna U. said timely preparation, inter-departmental coordination, and swift decision-making are crucial for effectively dealing with natural disasters such as floods. She instructed all departments to complete preparedness measures well in advance and ensure that the protection of human life and property remains the highest priority.
She directed officials to keep relief camps, emergency control rooms, and other critical infrastructure fully operational, maintain constant surveillance in vulnerable areas, and ensure the adequate availability of resources. Stressing the importance of timely communication, she asked departments to use all available channels to disseminate flood warnings and intensify public awareness campaigns in vulnerable communities.
Relief Commissioner Dr. Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod emphasised close coordination among the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), and other emergency response agencies to ensure swift and effective rescue operations whenever required. He urged officials to treat flood management as a critical public service responsibility and ensure that relief reaches every affected person without delay.
The Principal Secretary and Relief Commissioner also instructed officials to provide advance warnings to villagers in flood-prone areas, engage trained volunteers during rescue operations, establish flood shelters well before the onset of flooding, and ensure that all relief camps are equipped with essential facilities. They further directed that separate shelters for livestock be created adjacent to human relief camps and instructed urban development authorities to ensure that open manholes in urban areas are securely covered to prevent accidents during heavy rains.
During the meeting, Devipatan Divisional Commissioner Durga Shakti Nagpal presented the division’s flood preparedness strategy and highlighted several innovative initiatives undertaken to strengthen disaster management.
Among the key measures presented were the pre-identification of nearly 30,000 pregnant women in flood-prone areas to facilitate timely medical care and evacuation, 100 per cent vaccination and deworming of livestock, advance stocking of fodder, pre-positioning of boats and emergency response resources, and the use of digital crop surveys for rapid assessment of flood damage and timely compensation to affected farmers.
The Commissioner also informed that relief kits, community kitchens, and medical assistance have been planned in advance with support from the Indian Red Cross Society, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Additionally, alternative school locations have been identified to ensure that children’s education continues uninterrupted in the event of flooding.
The presentation emphasised that Devipatan Division has adopted a comprehensive approach to flood management by combining advance planning, inter-departmental coordination, technology-driven monitoring, and community participation to minimise loss of life and property and ensure prompt disaster response.
The meeting was attended by Devipatan Divisional Commissioner Durga Shakti Nagpal, Gonda District Magistrate Priyanka Niranjan, Additional District Magistrates (Finance and Revenue) from the 18 flood-prone districts, senior officials from the police, irrigation, public works, rural development, agriculture, health, electricity, and animal husbandry departments, as well as representatives of the NDRF, SDRF, and PAC. Departments presented their respective preparedness plans and outlined time-bound action strategies for the forthcoming monsoon season.
