Mock drills to check flood evacuation

Mock drills to check flood evacuation
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, AUG 18
With a surplus rainfall this year rendering all catchment areas full before time and nearly a month-and-a-half of the monsoon season still to go, the State will check its flood-evacuation capabilities in mock drills in South and North Goa on August 30 and 31, respectively.  
The locations for these drills that will see community participation as well are kept a surprise in an effort to check the preparedness of the authorities in that particular area in case if there is an occurrence of a flood.  
On Wednesday an expert from the National Disaster Management Authority, New Delhi, in an orientation programme took around 35 Government officials through situations that could arise during floods. Actual situations from flood prone-areas in different parts of the country were placed before them giving them an understanding what they could confront.
The expert Major General V K Datta, a specialist in capacity building and mock exercises, said what the officials learnt today will be put into practice at the ground level during the mock drills. Today’s programme should help the State authorities to chalk out suitable plans to give relief to flood-affected people, he mentioned.
North Goa Collector Mihir Vardhan, who spoke to a few media persons after the day-long orientation programme, said his main concern areas were Bicholim and Sattari as far as flooding in the North was concerned. “We are ensuring the mock drills, besides the participation of Government machinery, will have non-governmental organisations and those departments connected with disaster management,” he mentioned.
Vardhan said after today’s workshop he had learnt the veterinary component that highlighted the rescue of cattle and other animals during floods. “This was something new to me and we will see how best this can be accommodated in our flood mitigation plan,” he stated.
Over a question on water-logging at Sanquelim market last night, the Collector said it was due to rainwater and not from the flood-prone Valvanti River. It is learnt a pump was not functioning properly; we are making inquiries, he mentioned.