NMC, irrigation dept start pre-monsoon preparations

Nagpur: With an eye on the monsoon season, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and irrigation department on Monday launched parallel pre-monsoon preparedness reviews, covering urban flood readiness and irrigation canal infrastructure across the district.NMC commissioner Vipin Itankar chaired a review of monsoon readiness of all departments at a special meeting held at the civic body's Headquarters. Itankar directed officials to complete pre-monsoon works on a war footing. He instructed departments to complete river and drain cleaning, pruning of dangerous tree branches, removal of water hyacinth from Ambazari Lake and surveys of dangerous buildings before the monsoon. The NMC commissioner also directed that control rooms be set up in each zone for citizens and round-the-clock emergency machinery be kept ready at zone level.NMC officials have been asked to ensure availability of additional machinery, including JCBs and tippers for use in emergency. Itankar also asked the fire department to conduct a mock drill at Ambazari Lake in coordination with national and state disaster response departments to assess overall readiness. Additional commissioners Ankit and Murugananantham M, chief engineer Manoj Talewar, chief fire officer Tushar Barahate and representatives of NDRF and SDRF were among those present during the meeting.On the district front, the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) and Naam Foundation, the voluntary organisation of actors Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure, are conducting canal cleaning and repair drives across the Pench multipurpose project's network ahead of the monsoon. The initiative was taken up on chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' direction for water conservation, with the weather department predicting a below-normal monsoon due to the Super El Nino and IOD effect. Under a memorandum of understanding between VIDC and Naam Foundation, the drive targeted 171 canals covering 4,10,000 metres, aimed at benefiting 23,300 hectares.Pench Irrigation Division executive engineer Anita Parate said, "The canal cleaning drive will increase discharge capacity, ensure smooth irrigation and result in significant water conservation."Of the 171 canals planned, 46 covering 64,000 metres have been cleaned so far. The Pench project's network covers 880 canals across 1,779 km, serving over one lakh hectares. VIDC executive director Rajesh Sontakke and superintending engineer Sonali Chopade were heading the drive.