Flood shelters must be built on high ground: Minister

Patna: Bihar disaster management minister Ratnesh Sada on Tuesday directed officials to ensure that all permanent flood shelters are constructed on elevated land to prevent waterlogging in future.Chairing a departmental review meeting after assuming charge, Sada asked officials to carry out immediate inspections of all under-construction shelters. He said the department’s responsibility goes beyond relief distribution and includes safeguarding human life and fixing accountability.Sada noted that the use of technical solutions in recent years had improved disaster response and helped save lives across the state.During the meeting, principal secretary Santosh Kumar Mall stressed the need for a coordinated approach to minimise loss of life and property. He called for timely departmental response to seasonal disasters, including floods, droughts and fires, as well as local emergencies.Mall said public awareness and teamwork were essential to reduce disaster-related damage.Joint secretary Mohd Nadeemul Ghaffar Siddiqui presented an overview of departmental schemes covering relief operations for earthquakes, heatwaves, cold waves and lightning strikes. He also detailed protocols for handling incidents of drowning and snake bites in flood-affected districts.The meeting was attended by the SDRF commandant and officials from the disaster management and public relations departments.