Rain-related crisis: KMC & Kolkata Police set up 22 disaster management teams, 24-hr command centre

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Kolkata Police (KP) are taking all possible measures to handle any emergencies with the weather office predicting heavy rainfall in the city and its adjoining areas on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A wind speed to the extent of 40-50 km hour is expected to accompany the rainfall.

A 24-hours unified command centre will be operational at the control room of KP's headquarter at Lalbazar depending upon the progress of weather conditions while a special team comprising officials from Kolkata Police and KMC, Public Works Department, Fire and Emergency Services department has been formed for any sort of emergent situation. Additional Commissioner of Police Tanmoy Roy Chowdhury has been appointed as the nodal officer in this matter and 22 disaster management teams will be kept ready for prompt action in areas like Bhowanipore, Kalighat, Ekbalopore, Alipore and Watgunge.

Arrangements have been made for dresses and food to be distributed as part of relief if needed. "We have asked our concerned officials for prompt action in case of emergency. Our control room will be operational round the clock from Monday. People from the dangerous buildings will be shifted to temporary centres in due course as per weather forecast. The CESC has been asked to disconnect electric connection, if required to avoid incidents of electrocution," Firhad Hakim, Chairman Board of Administrators, KMC, said.

There are 3,000 dangerous buildings in the city among which 100 are extremely dilapidated and are susceptible to damage any time. Cranes, tree cutting machines and boats have also been kept ready with disaster management groups stationed at all the divisions under KP.

Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation has opened a round-the-clock control room which will be operational from Monday till September 29. Eight employees of BMC has been deployed to perform control room duties.