24/7 monsoon camps mooted in low-lying neighbourhoods

The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has resumed talks with the state government to set up emergency centres in all low-lying areas.

The proposal is not new. It was taking shape when Arvind Jadhav was chief secretary. But after a change of guard, the file went into cold storage.

The cell plans to team up with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike “as civic officials know the areas well and have a local network.”

The idea is to be ready for action round the clock, especially during the monsoon, in all low-lying areas.

The moment an automated alert is received at the centre, the attendant makes announcements on loud speakers, warning citizens of imminent rain. “We also plan mock drills with a siren to wake up people and evacuate them to safer places,” he said.

Bengaluru has 174 flood-prone low-lying areas, according to the BBMP and the disaster monitoring cell.

“Since we get area-wise rainfall alerts from our hydrological models, we can run camps and set up mechanisms to warn people,” a top official said.

These centres will be operational 24 hours, like call centres, with staff working in shifts to attend to grievances.

DH News Service