JOIN USGet ready for monsoon challenge: BBMP boss to officials
BBMP administrator Rakesh Singh on Saturday issued a slew of instructions to civic officials to prepare the city for the rainy season and contain the Covid-19 outbreak.
Singh, who took office on April 1, held a review meeting via video conference with BBMP zonal and zonal joint commissioners. He advised them to start preparations for the monsoon. “It’s essential to prepare well ahead as it helps in preventing any mishaps and damage to lives,” Singh said.
He directed zonal officials to immediately remove the silt excavated from the drains and dumped on the roadside. He also urged officials to ensure the safety of pedestrians on city roads, asking them to identify places where footpaths have been
damaged and repair them. “The damaged curbstones and slabs should be immediately replaced with new ones to ensure pedestrian safety on footpaths,” he told engineers of the planning wing.
63 temporary control rooms
Besides the existing control rooms, an additional 63 temporary control rooms will be set up to handle rain-related damages, while Rs 60 crore has also been set aside in the 2021-22 budget to prevent waterlogging and flooding during the monsoon months.
Singh also spoke on the new roles of the zonal commissioners (special commissioners) under the BBMP Act, 2020, under which officials have been redesignated.
“The zonal commissioners must set up their offices in the designated zones and must visit the office every day at least for three hours besides setting aside an hour to listen to the complaints of the public,” Singh said.
Institute shut down
Enforcing the state government-mandated Covid rules, the BBMP on Saturday issued a notice and temporarily closed down a private software training institute for violating Covid-19 protocols.
During inspection, the civic body observed that the institute had failed to follow social-distancing norms during training and some of the students were not even wearing masks.
Three students who failed to wear masks were fined Rs 250 each. The BBMP has also conducted RT-PCR tests on a total of 40 people, including staff and students. Results of these tests are awaited.