As the monsoon continues, the intense rainfall activity persists in Meghalaya. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday has predicted heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms and lightning over the northeast region during the next five days.
The IMD has issued orange and yellow alerts in Meghalaya as the state recorded heavy downpour in the last few days. The advisory urges the residents to ‘be prepared’ for rough conditions.
With rainfall intensifying, Minister incharge of Disaster management Kyrmen Shylla said the state Government has decided to use drone technology for vulnerability assessment. Talking to reporters, Shylla said, the state Government will Coordinate with North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) for an early warning alert system for cyclone, landslide, flood and lightning.
“To explore using drones for vulnerability assessment and tracking and assessment of flood from state GIS and UAV centre,” Shylla said.
Elaborating further on this, the Commissioner and Secretary of the department Matsiewdor War Nongbri said the Drone technology will be used by the department of Disaster management for monitoring floods, Landslides and other natural calamities from state GIS and UAV centre.
“We already have a state GIS and UAV centre so we plan to use this first, then we will see if we need to give it to other agencies or they can manage,” Matsiewdor said.
She said the department is in touch with different agencies, including some from abroad, finding ways and means for early warning signs of flood, landslide and thunderstrike.
With Sonapur Tunnel along the National Highway No. 6 connecting Silchar with Shillong continues to affect the people of Meghalaya as well as the people residing in Tripura, Barak valley and Mizoram, the Minister said, “The state government is looking forward to have Medium and long term solution to the Sonapur tunnel by NHAI.“
Nongbri said the department will hold a meeting with the Deputy Commissioners to identify the landslide-prone areas in their districts.
“The identification of such areas is under process,” she said, adding, “We are in touch with the Deputy Commissioners who are doing their job, respective line departments are also doing their job, so we are still in the process of finding out where exactly these vulnerable areas are.”
The state Government will take up with NESAC and other agencies to find a way for finding an early warning system even for thunder and lightning.
“We can respond better if we have adequate time to react before the lightning strikes,” Nongbri said.
Only in the month of June a total of 12 precious lives were lost due to Disaster and Natural calamities, 2 persons are still missing. While 32 animals died, the total number of affected villages is 212 and 376 houses were damaged. Total number of the population affected due to disaster and natural calamities is 26,098.
Meanwhile, Minister incharge of Disaster management Kyrmen Shylla said, the department will submit a proposal to include drowning and human animal conflict under this category, although the state Government has decided to include Lightning as local disaster and even animals hit due to local strike will be covered as local disaster.