Lahol Spiti, May 18
The Lahaul Spiti district administration on Monday reviewed pre-monsoon preparedness and directed all departments to ensure the timely implementation of disaster management and emergency response measures ahead of the upcoming monsoon season.
A meeting chaired by SDM Keylong Kunika Akers was attended by SDM Udaipur Alisha Chauhan and Tehsildar Kaza through online mode, along with officials from various departments. The administration discussed coordinated preparations to tackle possible natural disasters in the geographically sensitive tribal district.
The SDM directed departments to identify vulnerable areas, ensure availability of rescue and relief resources, and strengthen interdepartmental coordination before the onset of the monsoon. Officials reviewed the financial and physical progress of works under SDRF, NDRF and SDMF, along with pending utilisation certificates and proposals for additional funding.
The administration also discussed identifying drought-prone areas and instructed the agriculture and horticulture departments to take preventive measures. The progress of disaster mitigation projects under HPDRR and other departmental schemes was also reviewed during the meeting.
Departments were instructed to identify land for relief camps and to prepare proposals under the National Landslide Risk Mitigation Programme based on the Geological Survey of India’s reports on landslide-prone areas.
Officials were directed to appoint nodal officers, activate emergency response systems and establish control rooms at the sub-divisional level. Instructions were also issued for advance stocking of food items, LPG, petrol, and diesel in sensitive areas, while ensuring strict monitoring to curb hoarding and black marketing.
The Public Works Department, Panchayati Raj institutions, and the Rural Development Department were asked to clean drains, culverts, and water channels, especially in flood-prone areas. Authorities also stressed the need for volunteer identification and disaster response planning in panchayats.
The administration emphasised wider use of weather alert applications, including Sachet, Damini and Mausam, for quick dissemination of warnings and public awareness. The health department was instructed to ensure the availability of oxygen concentrators, medicines, and emergency medical facilities in high-altitude areas, while the police and forest departments were directed to increase monitoring in vulnerable locations.
